


Realisations

by Aithe



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Asriel Dreemurr Lives, Alternate Universe - College/University, First attempt at 2nd Person, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, M/M, Oral Sex, Slow Burn, male!reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-06-09 05:58:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 56,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6892876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aithe/pseuds/Aithe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was difficult enough for you to leave your hometown for somewhere as far away as Ebott. Half a country away, and forcing you to abandon everything you'd had. But, slowly, it started becoming okay.</p><p>Then you ended up in college. College, as you had been told, is hell.</p><p>You decided you hated college, but there was something that made it bearable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I decided to give this a try, as I'm trying to branch out my writing styles a little. I hope you enjoy.

It wasn't as if you weren't used to seeing them around by now. Monsters had been back for around five years by this point. But sometimes you couldn't help but be surprised by seeing them around, most often when you were travelling and saw new types of monsters that you hadn't seen before.

That had certainly been the case when you had moved to the city of Ebott, situated around the now-famous mountain with the same name. Moving had been tough, and you certainly hadn't wanted to leave your hometown, and everyone that you knew. 

But that was a long time ago now. Now, you had new friends; and with your mother pregnant, would soon have a larger family. Things were great, you even admitted to yourself at times that you were probably happier here than where you once lived. 

Things got a whole lot more complicated, however, when you graduated from high school and moved up to college. Ebott Liberal Arts College was an impressive place, and one that you'd never even dream of affording if not for the promotion that your father got; which in itself was the very reason you were here. 

You couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the place the first time you came here, and felt the exact same weight in your chest now that you were here again, The high ceilings, open spaces and the sheer amount of people easily brought you out of your comfort zone, but your fascination kept you grounded.

Keeping a tight grip on the strap of your bag, you walk deeper into the campus, carefully avoiding getting too close to people, human or monster. There were people here you’d never seen before, but given the size of the city, that wasn’t much of a surprise.

The walk to your first classroom, while not particularly long, felt like a marathon. As you got closer to the room you needed to go to, 37-A if your memory served, the sudden weight of just how important today was started gathering on your shoulders.

Today was your first day at college, and as such, the first day of your adult life.

Suddenly feeling immensely pressured, you check your wristwatch, finding yourself to be ever so slightly early, and push the door open. And, in doing so, immediately realise that you somehow managed to end up in a monster-dominated class. Apparently creative writing was something that captured them more than it caught humans?

Honestly, you weren’t sure. You were glad nobody turned to look at you or anything like that, but you couldn’t exactly stop yourself from looking around at the various types of monsters that were in the room. It seemed that you were the only human in this class, at least so far. You also couldn’t help but realise that the other students had entirely left one part of the room empty. Taking it as a small blessing, and hoping that it would give you the chance to sit by yourself, you walk through the room, taking your seat at a desk chosen simply because it was close to the window, something you always preferred.

The next few minutes felt uncomfortably long as you sat restlessly at your desk, fidgeting and doing what you could to ignore the other students who seemed to be talking about you. Considering you most definitely were the only human in the class, and that they were talking about that particular topic, it was hard to hope it was someone else that they were gossiping about.

Already feeling somewhat dejected, you barely register that the entire class has fallen silent. It’s only when you feel a heavy paw on your shoulder that you realise something had happened.

Finally dragging yourself out of your stupor, you look up to the monster that had touched you, and suddenly feel as if your day couldn’t get any worse. Why the Prince of all Monsterkind was studying at a college like this was beyond you, as was how you could possibly have attracted his attention.

Before your mind settles enough to speak, he does so. His voice isn’t at all as you’ve heard it over TV; it’s much richer and makes you feel much more comfortable than you had up until now.

“Do you mind if I take the seat beside you?”

It isn’t even a long sentence, and certainly nothing of importance, but you feel drawn to allow him the seat. Something about him immediately brightens up your day; although given that you’ve had physical contact with literal royalty, that didn’t come as much of a surprise.

\---------------------

The class itself passes in kind of a blur, the information given to you barely registering as you feel constantly and intensely aware of the fact that the seat beside you is taken up by a Prince. It felt so intensely surreal that you weren’t able to focus much.

You only hoped he didn’t notice you glancing at him. You had done everything you possibly could to appear as perfect as possible around him; and couldn’t even bring yourself to think of what would become of you if you had been caught staring at him.

Still feeling somewhat dazed, you pack your things back into your bag and sling it over your shoulder, the weight feeling much more alien than it did an hour prior. Your mind racing with the fact that you’d been so close to someone like him. You knew his name, of course. But now he also knew yours, now.

It was a hard fact to swallow, that Asriel Dreemurr, the prince of monsters, knew your name. And was sat next to you in your first class. You felt like you were likely dwelling on it too much, but you couldn’t help feeling a little overwhelmed by it.

Shaking your head a little to re-focus, you grab your timetable from your pocket and set off toward your next class. Your first one might have been more than a little unusual, but you still had to get through the rest of the day. All you could hope for was that nothing else too interesting would happen.

\------------------

“You have to be kidding.”

Your voice is soft, whispered under your breath as you look at the nameplate on the door to your appointed dorm room. And, sure enough and much to your immediate panic, your name is right there. Beneath the name Asriel Dreemurr.

Today had been much calmer for you after the first period, but this? This was a little more than you were willing to deal with, to put it politely. There was no way you could possibly be roommates with him of all people.

Entirely convinced that there was some kind of mistake, you turn on your heel and start making your way toward the office that you hoped woud be able to help out with this. There was no way that you could possibly be paired with him. He was royalty, it couldn’t make sense for him to even be amongst the dorms, let alone in a paired one with you.

That was what you had convinced yourself of, at least. Not that you were hard to convince, but that wasn’t the point. He was royalty, so it made no sense for him to be in the normal dorms. Or paired with a human like yourself. Hell, you hadn’t even realised that ‘co-ed’ apparently meant interspecies dorms as well as it’s more traditional meaning.

But, apparently that didn’t matter. It was as if nobody else noticed that he was royal. Sure, they acted a little differently around him, but that was as far as it seemed to go. They acted more weirdly around you than him, which would have offended you if you weren’t used to that kind of thing.

And yet somehow, as if things hadn’t already been difficult enough for you, you were now apparently saddled with being dorm-mates with the one person you were hoping to avoid.

\------------

A short, frustrating visit to the dorm office later, you began walking back toward your assigned dorm, your bag feeling heavy on your shoulder. There was, apparently, no way out of your room assignment. The woman who you had asked about it even had the gall to look personally offended that you would try to have your room changed.

You weren’t even sure why you were so against the idea. After all, you were going to be dorm-mates with royalty, which was something you couldn’t imagine very few people could ever claim. But yet, it wasn’t a good idea, for you. There was so much about you that you were fine with, but you couldn’t imagine someone like him would be.

You were more than a little disheartened that your first day at college had already caused you this much concern. If things kept up this pace, you weren’t entirely sure how you’d make it through the rest of the year.

Perhaps, if you were lucky, things would get better. You didn’t want anything to go sour, not here. Especially not this early.

The thought of having someone so important as Asriel being both your classmate and now, apparent dorm-mate, was likely the most significant part of all this, and you just couldn’t figure out what kind of impact it would have. It gave you a long list of things you never thought you’d need to deal with, to deal with.

You decided you hated college already.


	2. Roommates

"Oh, you have to be kidding me."

Today had been fine, up until now. The first class had been more than a little awkward, and you were almost entirely sure that Prince Asriel had caught you looking at him at least once. But this? This was more than you wanted to deal with.

Staring at the bronze plate fixed to your door, you sigh heavily, convinced that this had to have been some kind of mistake, you turn on your heel and walk toward...whatever the name of the office you needed to go to was. You weren't really paying much attention during the initiation.

\------------------------

Closing the door behind you, an aching feeling of panic and uncertainty boiling in your chest as the fact that no, it hadn't been a mistake and that you were in fact, boarding with Asriel Dreemurr, really started to hit home. And worst of all, you didn't know how to deal with it.

When you finally got back to your dorm room, you found yourself frozen in front of the door. You put it down to nerves, perhaps, or still being caught in disbelief at your situation.

But, more importantly, you were almost completely sure that you couldn’t stay in the hall all night. So, as much as you didn’t like the idea of having to room with Asriel, you unlocked and opened the door, walking inside.

The room was quiet, you noticed first. It was clear that, at some point during the day, Asriel’s things had been moved here. It was, however, rather surprising that nothing looked particularly different. It all just looked normal, and that shook you more than you expected.

The monster in question, however, didn’t seem to be around. The room was silent, and so you let yourself in proper, closing and locking the door behind you as your bag slides from your shoulder, the lack of weight a welcome relief.

The moment you sat upon your bed, exhaustion sinking into your muscles. You fall backwards, landing on the mattress and exhaled loudly, stretching your arms over your head. The quiet allowed you to think, and reflect on the day that had passed.

The majority of it had been fine. As normal as you could have expected a first day at college to have been. It was only the first period that was difficult. You knew you were dwelling on it too much, but the fact that you had been sat within touching distance from the prince of monsters was still very surreal.

Not quite as surreal as the fact you were apparently living with him now. That, you didn’t know how to handle. You were grateful that he wasn’t here, honestly. The more time you had without him, the better. He made you anxious, you noticed. Not that you were surprised by that. He was royal; and a monster. He was nothing like you.

That had to be it. At least, you had convinced yourself such.

What bothered you most, however, was that you couldn’t figure out why you were so fixated on him. The fact that he was royal wasn’t enough, that was just a part of it.

Sighing deeply and leaving that thought train for your future self; you push yourself back up into a seated position and grab your bag, discarded at your bedside. Rifling through the contents, you pull out one of the books given as reading material and open the book carefully, taking care not to damage the spine of the book.

\------------------------------

You weren’t sure how much time had passed before you finished your session of reading. Despite your initial disinterest, the assigned book wasn’t as bad as you had expected it to be.

It worried you slightly, however, that you were still alone. Asriel hadn’t arrived yet, and the room felt all too large with only a single occupant. You couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was keeping him this long; knowing that the college offered no evening classes.

Sighing quietly and scolding yourself for worrying about someone you barely knew, you place the book back into your bag; and decide instead to snoop around a little. Asriel wasn’t here, and how often would you ever get the chance to look through a prince’s possessions?

Climbing off of your bed, you stand and stretch the tiredness out of your muscles before walking around the room, feeling more comfortable than you expected. The muffled noise of the other residential students wasn’t too dissimilar to the sounds of your neighbours at home; which was likely part of it. 

You were glad that you could relax, if only for now. Being alone in the room, while somewhat disconcerting, meant that you weren’t as stressed as you likely would be with Asriel here.

You felt your heart freeze, regardless, as your hand grips the handle of Asriel’s wardrobe. Was this allowed? Snooping wasn’t...that weird, you thought. If you weren’t caught, it could even be considered okay. So all you had to do was make sure you didn’t get caught.

The feeling of a too-familiar paw on your shoulder completely shattered that possibility, however. You were barely able to stop yourself from flinching more than you already did, quickly releasing the wardrobe handle and freezing in place.

“And what exactly are you doing?”

His voice is all too pleasant for how unpleasant you find this situation. You only notice now that it’s deeper, and richer than it sounded before.

“You do realise that you have your own wardrobe, yes?”

You’re unable to stop yourself from hanging your head in embarrassment; shame coursing through you as you step away from Asriel’s grip, turning to look up at him.

You hate how he has the upper hand, again. The fact he was taller than you didn’t help either, even if he wasn’t otherwise too imposing. It was all you could do to stop yourself from shrinking further away from him, finally finding your voice.

“I was curious, Your Majesty, that’s all. Nothing more.”

You feel grateful that your voice doesn’t waver or falter. Looking up at him isn’t hard, despite how much he towers over you; but he feels deeply imposing. Not that this surprises you, given his title.

“Mhm, I’m sure. You weren’t prying because I’m royal and you expected me to be different.”

His insight startles you slightly; and you scratch the back of your head in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

“Asriel. I have a name, remember?”

You pause, genuinely unsure as to why he’s smiling at you. He almost caught you rifling through his things, and yet he’s playing it off like nothing; leaving you intensely confused.

“I do remember, Your Majesty. But I also know that you’re royal. You deserve resp-”

The way your name rolls off his tongue sends an unwilling shiver down your spine; almost forcing you to fall silent. It makes you a little worried, if you’re entirely honest with yourself.

“I have a name, and I want you to use it. I can't have my room-mate calling me by a title all the time, can I?”

You shake your head weakly, a painful feeling of insignificance burning in your chest. This was going even worse than you already thought it would.

“Good. I don’t want this to be awkward, alright? Just because I’m a prince, doesn’t mean that I can’t be a normal person, y’know. And, seeing as we’re going to be living together for the foreseeable future, we should at least try to get along. Right?”

You nod, standing a little more straight. You do what you can to mask how much your heart is pounding in your chest; unsure of whether it’s fear or something else causing it.

“Not much of a talker, huh? Well, I can work with that. As long as you don’t start rummaging through my things again, that is.”

You groan quietly, feeling more deeply embarrassed with each moment. Dragging yourself over toward your bed, you fall upon it, staring up at the ceiling.

“You aren’t bothered by this, Asriel? Boarding with a human?”

Your voice is somewhat weak, your nervousness showing through as you ask the question that had been burning it’s way into your mind this whole time.

“Why would I be bothered? My younger brother is human. Or weren’t you aware of this?”

You raise an eyebrow, rolling over to look toward Asriel, who had sat upon his own bed, his legs crossed beneath him.

“That would be Frisk, right? I wasn’t aware they were related to you.”

“Mhm. They’re my adopted brot-sibling. Not brother. I keep forgetting. So no, it doesn’t bother me. You’re just a different human. I’m used to sleeping alongside them.”

Feeling surprisingly grateful that he used the word ‘alongside’ instead of ‘with’, you roll onto your back again, stretching out the tension in your muscles.

“That’s something. I was worried that this would be hard for you.”

“I’m not made of glass. And beside, you sound like you’re convincing yourself, not me.”

You shrug weakly, finding no interest at all in the ceiling above you.

“Perhaps. It’s not as if I imagined I would room with you, Your Majesty. It’s quite the surprise.”

“A pleasant one, I hope.”

That, you weren’t sure of. You knew that it was most definitely surprising to be in this situation, but you couldn’t yet gauge whether or not it would be pleasant. You certainly hoped it would be.

“I’ll have to get back to you on that.”


	3. Possibilities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I'm curious as to what everyone's opinion is on how this is going so far. I've never tried writing in 2nd person before, so I'm pretty unsure of what the quality is. So, as much as I feel uncomfortable doing this, I'm going to ask for some feedback. Anything at all is appreciated, and will definitely help.
> 
> Either way, I hope you all enjoy reading.

“So, tell me about yourself.”

Asriel’s voice catches you off-guard, making you look up toward him. He, like yourself, decided to work on geting through the assigned reading; and was lying upon his bed.

“What do you want to know? I haven’t had a particularly exciting life.”

Unable to hide the apprehension in your voice, you fold the corner of your page over, placing the book upon your desk. You’d be lying if you tried to tell yourself that you knew why he wanted to know about you.

“Anything, really. I don’t want to push, so you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. I’m just curious, is all.”

Sighing quietly, you stand from your chair and walk over to your own bed, sitting down upon the edge of it; now able to see him properly, and thus hold the conversation you were apparently now having.

“There’s not really a lot to say. I used to live across the country, on the south coast. A couple of years ago, my father got a promotion that meant we had to move. I got through the last couple years of school; mother got pregnant a couple of months ago, and now I’m here.”

Well aware that you were being somewhat evasive, you’re more than a little nervous when he closes his copy of the book, sitting up to look at you. You can’t help but wonder how it’s taken you this long to notice that his fur is as thick as it is. It explains, at least, why he fills out his clothing more than his figure would.

You freeze up as you realise that you’re thinking more than a little too much about Asriel’s body. Shaking your head slightly, you lean back, geting more comfortable.

That comfort is quickly pulled away from you however, as Asriel looks toward you, clearly inspecting you. His gaze almost feels like it’s stripping you bare, trying to figure you out on a much deeper level than you were comfortable with.

You shift on your bed, wringing your hands in your lap as you wait for him to finish, too nervous to call him out on the discomfort he was causing.

It takes far too long for him to stop, as far as you’re concerned, but he does eventually do so, crossing his legs under himself as he lets out a breath you didn’t realise he had been holding.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you alright?”

You startle slightly at his voice, silently infuriated that you’re so much jumpier around him than you are in pretty much any other situation. 

“Fine. Just a little unsure why you were staring at me for so long. Is that a normal thing for you?”

Your answer comes out a little rushed, a small stinging pain in your hands from how much you’ve been wringing them, an attempt to keep yourself distracted. A failed attempt, you noticed.

“Not really. I’m just curious about you, is all. It’s not often that humans come to this college, from what I’ve heard. And besides, if we’re going to be living together for the next year or two, we should get to know each other, shouldn’t we?”

His argument was sound; so you shrugged, determined to stay as non-committal as possible. To say that you were nervous around him would be an understatement. Not just for the obvious difference in importance between the two of you, but also because he was much more physically imposing than you.

You flinch as he sighs, his gaze becoming more of a glare.

“You don’t have to be this nervous. I understand this must be kind of weird for you, but I’m not going to bite you or anything. I’m a normal person, just like you.”

You know that. Deep down, you do. But it’s hard to believe, you admit to yourself. So you nod, still too scared to talk. Your heart pounding in your chest, an aching burn starts forming beneath your skin, a surefire sign that you were going to start itching like crazy if you weren’t careful.

“I want to be friends, alright? If you can ever be comfortable enough around me to do that, I mean.”

You look up to him, barely able to hold his gaze, a deep and intense one, made all the more severe due to his blackened sclera. It almost feels as if he’s looking into you much more deeply than he would be.

“I will be, Asriel. Once I get used to sleeping in the same room as a prince, that is.”

It’s the best you can give him. It isn’t much, barely a half-assed attempt at a promise. But it’s something. More than you expected of yourself, for sure. And perhaps more than he did, as well, considering the surprise on his expression.

“That sounds good to me. And besides, it’s not like we’re in the same bed or anything.”

You can’t help but hear a ‘yet’ added to that sentence, although you don’t know at all why. Wishful thinking, perhaps, given to you by your stress-addled mind. There was no way you could possibly be in your right mind, with thoughts such as those.

At least, that was what you were hoping was ths case. Thoughts like this weren’t exactly uncommon for you, but the absolute last thing you needed to deal with on top of all this, was the possibility that you might be having unneeded thoughts about your new roommate, who just so happened to be the same sex, and a different species to you.

That was complication you did not need. At all. Something your mind, apprently, didn’t quite catch on to; causing a terribly red blush to rise to your cheeks.

Which, because you apparently had the worst damned luck in the past couple of days, Asriel noticed.

“You don’t have to look so disappointed, y’know. Who knows, give it time and we might do a little more than share a bed.”

You groan audibly, glaring at Asriel as he laughs softly, a deep laugh that suits him perfectly and you really have to stop thinking so hard about these kind of things.

“Don't flirt with me, Asriel. This is weird enough without that, alright?”

He smiles again, leaning forward and you realise that he has fangs. Like, real, sharp and possibly even jagged fangs. Which you really, really did not need to know.

“You seem to like weird. Maybe I should keep going.”

You push him away, the blush on your cheeks worsening by the moment as you try to look even slightly annoyed at him with your glare. Regardless of the fact that you weren’t particularly experienced with flirting; the fact it was a royal monster doing it made it far more confusing to deal with.

“Maybe you should stop being weird. I’d prefer that.”

You hate how your voice is a little strained, your chest beginning to hurt from how difficult it’s becoming to focus due to your rapidly-beating heart.

“Alright, I get it. I’m not your type, it’s not a big deal.”

You really feel like you’re going to start hating him if he keeps this up, but from that particular phrase you find yourself falling silent, unable to properly answer him without assuredly damning yourself to more discomfort.

“Seeing as you care more than I do about the whole ‘assigned reading’ thing, I’m gonna go grab a shower.”

You nod to Asriel, a soft smile on your face as you walk back over to your desk, the click of the door to the en-suite bathroom that apparently every room had here. You weren’t aware just how well-funded this college was; and things like that were quite the surprise.

The soft sound of the rushing water from Asriel’s shower helps calm your pounding heart, the crinkling of the pages beneath your fingers a delightful sensation that relaxes you greatly.

\------------------

You barely make it through the remainder of the fifth chapter before you hear the ensuite door click behind you, your ears perking at the sound. Asriel must be coming from his shower, so you feel especially determined to focus on the book in front of you and not at all on the possibly half-naked monster in the room with you.

“Let me know when you’re decent, please. I don’t want to turn around and see more than I should.”

The only answer you recieve is a quiet grunt of affirmation, followed shortly by what you hoped was him towelling himself down, replaced a few moments later by the sounds of him pulling clothes upon himself.

Entirely unable to focus upon the prose in your hands, you fold the page corner and place the book upon the desk, waiting with limited patience for Asriel to dress himself so you didn’t have to try so hard not to focus on him.

It was times like this you really hated being what your friends oh-so-affectionately called ‘furry trash’. Monsters already caused you enough confusion with how many different ways they could be attractive, but having one in the same room as you, thankfully becoming less naked by the moment, was a whole new level of weird.

“Alright, I’m decent. You can turn around.”

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, you stand from your chair, no longer willing to try and further your reading tonight. Pushing the chair beneath your desk, you turn on your heel and lean back against your desk, smiling to Asriel, who is still towelling himself down, although is thankfully clothed from the waist-down, even if he is topless.

Thankfully, that isn’t enough to draw any real embarrassment from you. You’d seen topless monsters before, having been at a school with monsters before moving here.

“Enjoy your shower? You were in there quite a while, I was almost getting worried.”

“Aww, so you do care.”

You shrug off his teasing, almost tempted to offer your help with the towel. Fur, you were well aware, could be an absolute nightmare to correctly dry, especially the parts that were hard to reach.

But you also knew that was likely far too forward, and not something you should offer someone you barely knew.

“I could hardly let the prince of all monsterkind fall over and hurt himself in the shower, now could I?”

“Well, you could hardly come into the bathroom while I’m showering, could you? Could you imagine the scandal, a human invading a prince’s shower? The headlines would be quite the thing.”

You can’t help but laugh, although you try to keep it quiet so as not to disturb any of your neighbours.

“I’m sure they would be. Although, by how you’ve been acting, it feels like you might have wanted me to join you in there.”

The smile you recieve in reply worries you in how much it seems to prove his agreement with a statement you were almost hoping he would deny. You weren’t entirely sure why he was being quite so flirtatious with you. You hoped, although you didn’t know why, that it would was at least a little serious.

“Maybe I would like that. I mean, seeing as you’re so receptive to my advances. Most are intimidated by my status, but you don’t seem to be.”

You blush slightly, jumping up onto your desk and sitting atop it, feeling more than a little surprised at how genuine his statement is.

“I am intimidated. At least a little. But hey, how many people can genuinely say that they were being flirted with by a prince?”

You try not to flinch as he approaches you, sitting upon your bed and looking up toward you. This was more than a little bizarre for you to deal with, but it was thrilling in it’s own way.

“More than I’m willing to admit, but that’s not the point. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable with how I act. Just tell me if it’s too weird for you, alright?”

“It’s not weird. Well, no. No, it’s super fucking weird. I don’t get flirted with often, and it’s more rare that it comes from monsters. Especially ones as attractive as yourself.”

His smile almost makes your voice crack, embarrassment coursing through you, getting worse and worse by the moment as he stands up from your bed, presumably to be closer to your eye level.

“Then I’m going to guess you don’t want me to stop. I’ll keep it to a minimum in class, though.”

You nod weakly, your mind racing with possibilities that this situation could bring. You weren’t entirely certain, but you couldn’t help but think that this was the start of what would likely be a very unusual friendship.


	4. Second Day, and some unexpected lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I'm only dropping this note to let you all know that I'm incredibly grateful for the feedback I've recieved so far. It's an absolute godsend to hear such kind words, and I'm doing my best to keep on a good schedule for updates.
> 
> So, as usual, I hope you all enjoy.

“Rise and shine. C’mon, get up. We have class.”

A heavy, burning hatred courses through your body, a heavy arm swatting at the source of the invasive voice. You know who it is, of course, but that only makes it worse. The last thing you want to deal with is being awake. Sleep was absolutely damned crucial as far as you were concerned.

And nobody, not even the prince of all monsterkind, was going to wake you up if you didn’t want to be woken. And you most certainly did not want to be woken.

The warmth of the furred hand around your own doesn’t help your situation in the slightest, and you groan quietly, weakly trying to pull your hand free of Asriel’s grip.

“I know it’s no fun. I’d let you sleep if I could, but we gotta get to class.”

You whine quietly, your hand falling to your side as Asriel releases it. Now more awake than you wanted to be, you push yourself up to a seated position, your muscles feeling heavy and sluggish.

“I hate you right now. So much. You’re the worst person ever, Asriel.”

“I love you too, princess, now get up. C’mon.”

Glaring daggers at your, annoyingly already showered and dressed roommate, you drag yourself out of bed, wobbling a little on your feet. Your steps are slow and short, more of a shuffle as you walk over toward the bathroom. Closing and bolting the door behind you; and also noting that Asriel had chosen not to use that bolt last night, you strip off your pajamas and step beneath the shower.

The metal of the shower controls is cold beneath your fingers, a welcome shock to your system. Almost as much, in fact, as the heat of the water as you twist the controls; the streams of water dropping onto you from a few inches above your head. A soft sigh escapes you as the water trails down your back and down your legs, a few smaller trails of water falling over the front of your shoulders and down your stomach.

\--------------

The few minutes you take to shower allow you to think of what exactly the situation between Asriel and yourself had become, in such a short time. The nervousness you had around him was still there, undeniably, but it was different now. Now it was more of a worry to keep yourself from ruining whatever you had started.

But also, much more importantly, you had somehow ended up as his friend? And perhaps eventually more than that, apparently? You really couldn’t understand how such a thing had happened. And so quickly, at that. Normally you had trouble forming friendships. It happened, sure, but normally a lot more slowly than in a single night.

And those friendships had certainly never been based on flirting. Hell, you’d never flirted with anyone. Ever. It wasn’t a thing you ever did. But now you had. And successfully by the sound of it.

“He called me princess. Why the hell did he do that?”

The question is rhetorical, of course, barely muttered beneath your breath; but it’s a relevant question nonetheless. You seriously hope that it isn’t going to become a nickname. Or, at the very least, if it was going to be one, it didn’t leave the dorm room.

Wrapping a towel around your waist, you unbolt the bathroom door and walk back through to the main room, only to see Asriel...preparing an outfit for you, by the looks of things. It would almost be endearing if it wasn’t so bizarre.

“What are you doing? Why are you messing with my clothes?”

“I’m not. You were showering, and if you took too long deciding an outfit, we’d be late to class. I’m helping.”

You sigh quietly, still barely awake enough to register the situation. Focusing more on not being late during your first day, you walk over to where Asriel is, shooing him away from your side of the room.

“I need to get dressed. Go occupy yourself somewhere else, I don’t want you watching me change.”

“Spoilsport.”

His tone is playful, but you push him away regardless, putting on the clothes set out for you as quickly as you can, just in case he decided to ignore what you asked of him.

The clothes feel a little too light on your body, the weight of sleep still in your muscles. Yawning and stretching your arms above your head, you grab what few things you were told you’d need for today’s lectures, place them into your bag and lift the bag onto your shoulder, the weight feeling unusually reassuring.

“Alright, I’m ready to go.”

“Good to hear. Let’s get going, we don’t want to get into trouble.”

\--------------------

The first two lectures of the day are, thankfully, as peaceful as you could have expected them to be. Sitting beside Asriel during the first hour or so is significantly more stressful than the second, but it’s not an unpleasant stress.

You can’t help but worry about it. It’s concerning, having such a high level of stress over something as simple as a fledgling friendship.

You hate the gossip, though. Monsters are every bit as petty and childish as humans, it seems; and the constant, barely-hushed chatter about you grates harshly on your nerves, making you irritable and more short-tempered than you normally are.

You despised rumors, knowing full well the amount of damage they could cause. If you weren’t so angry that people would act with such pettiness and childishness so soon into the beginning of term, you’d probably be worried that it might have some sort of impact on you.

As it was, it was all you could do to swallow any reactions down, pretend that you didn’t hear them speaking, and just get on with your day. It was uncomfortable and deeply unpleasant, but it was necessary.

You had never felt so grateful for seperation as you did when lunch came. Seeking out the same quiet place as before, you can’t help but breathe a heavy sigh of relief as you find it empty, allowing you the peace you crave.

The bark of the tree scratches at your back as you slide down it, resting the back of your head against the trunk as you sit upon the ground, your bag discarded beside you.

The quiet allows you to think, which in itself is very much a mixed blessing. Distateful thoughts, memories of how poorly people had treated you because of rumors and falsehoods, spread by people you, at the time, thought of as friends.

But also more pleasant, more recent memories. Ones of family, of the new friends you had made in Ebott, and now Asriel as well. The goatmonster seemed to be determined to harass you, that was certain, but he was also irrepressibly cheerful and friendly, even to someone like you, a definite outsider in a place like this.

The fact that he was also very handsome and flirtatious were very big bonuses, you had to admit. It was a little bizarre for you, and somewhat uncomfortable at times but that was purely because of your inexperience, nothing more.

It was only now, far later than you would possibly have liked, that you realised that he was the first person you’d ever tried to flirt with. Regardless of his status, and power, he was male; and that threw you.

Your sexuality had always been under questioning, but it was quite a shock to have such a firm piece of evidence into what exactly your preference was.

Right now, apparently, your preference was someone far out of your league, who also, more surprisingly than that, is male. You felt intensely out of your comfort zone with that fact now all the more obvious.

You weren’t gay, right? You’d always...well, you’d preferred monsters since they had arrived, but with so many of them being nonbinary or built in a way that made it impossible to tell their gender, you never really knew whether to call yourself straight or not.

But this...this certainly wasn’t that. You couldn’t really get much less straight than you felt like you might be. It was almost humiliating, in a way, to think of him like you somehow had found yourself doing. You were an adult now, too old to have such childish crushes.

It would go away eventually. Right? It had to.

Hopefully.


	5. Rough Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I'm hoping the pacing in this chapter doesn't feel too rushed, as it kind of feels like it might be, but I'm not too sure. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, but regardless, I hope you all enjoy reading.

It was getting harder to ignore them, you found, as time went on. They weren’t even trying to hide it anymore, either, which only made it worse. Speaking freely of empty rumors and hateful things, you felt more and more out of place as the hours went by.

By the time your final lecture is over, your heart feels like it’s made of stone, crushingly heavy in your chest. The bag slung over your shoulder feels like a lead weight as you drag your feet, barely focusing on your path as you walk your way back toward the dorms.

The worst part, you believe, is that you expected this. Coming to new places so rarely went well that your expectations are permanently lowered. Shouldering your way through monsters and the occasional human, you remain uncomfortably silent for the remainder of your short journey.

You’re almost grateful when you find the room empty. Being alone leaves you to your unburdened thoughts which, while a mixed blessing, is exactly what you need. Distractions, especially ones in the form of your roommate, where what you wanted to avoid more than anything.

Throwing your bag aside, you slam the door closed behind you, uncaring of other people’s frustration. You hated this insecurity, a heavy and hot weight in your chest that makes it hard to breathe and clouds your thoughts.

It made you feel weak. It was your greatest weakness, really, and one that was coming up more than you’d like it to. It was also, more annoyingly, one you couldn’t talk about. The embarrassment and awkwardness it caused was more unpleasant than the problem itself, most of the time.

That was why, right now, you were glad that you could just struggle through it by yourself, and feel better by the time Asriel got back. You didn’t want to appear weak in front of him, more than anything else. Weakness was bad enough shown in front of people, but him? You couldn’t even begin to think how unbearable that would be.

Throwing yourself onto your bed, you roll to your back and stare idly at the ceiling, finally alone with your thoughts.

\------------

It feels as if hours pass, the sounds of others moving through the building almost like an unspoken lullaby making you somewhat tired, before the already-familiar sound of your dorm room door being pushed open jars you back to your senses.

“Hey, I’m home. Is...everything alright? You look kinda down.”

It crushes you how his first concern is you. He should be worrying aobut himself, not your stupid over-reactions to people being childish.

“I’m fine. Just had a long day.”

A feeble lie, with so little conviction in it that you aren’t even fooling yourself. Your smile is equally weak as you stumble from the bed to your feet, brushing yourself down.

“How about you, Asriel, are you alright?”

He clearly catches your weak attempts at trying to change the subject, as his hand grips your shoulder tightly, his other hand discarding his bag before reaching to your chin, pulling you to look up at him.

“Have you been crying? Your eyes are red, and you sounded like you have a sore throat. Do you need me to get you some painkillers or something?”

You pull away from him, hissing quietly as his claws scratch at your skin. This isn’t how he should be acting, you aren’t important enough for this kind of thing. It didn’t matter how your day was.

“I’m fine, you worry too much. Like I said, it’s just been a long day. I’m not used to this place yet.”

You speak more out of defiance than anything else. Outright refusal for him to see that you were weak, that the petty, vile talk of rumors and hateful things got to you and made you feel like trash.

“I...right, alright. I’m sorry.”

The lump that forms in your throat at how upset he sounds feels like a hot, sticky ball of acid, burning at your throat. Bile rises from your stomach, making you feel intensely ill, so you hang your head and sigh quietly, conceding that your own discomfort was less important than his happiness.

“I just...I hate being gossiped about. I hear it all the time, y’know? I don’t see why being human makes me such a freak here.”

“Is it that bad?”

You turn to him, your hands in your pockets as you look up toward him.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m being stupid and over-thinking it, but it makes me feel really shitty. I’ve been here two days, and you’re the only person I’ve met that isn’t talk behind my back about me.”

He smiles, only slightly but enough to make you focus on it. Perhaps it was the unintentional compliment you gave him, or something else you hadn’t noticed, but something you had done caused it.

“I’d say I’m honored, but that just means I’m not an asshole. Do you want to talk about it, help get your mind off it?”

You shake your head, returning his smile as you realise that, for a reason you can’t quite understand, the concern that he had for you was genuine, or at least a good enough imitation that you couldn’t tell the difference.

“I appreciate it, but I’m alright. I’ve dealt with this kind of thing before, back in high school, so I know how to cope.”

“If you’re sure, princess. Is there anything I can do to take your mind off it, at least?”

You can’t help but roll your eyes at the apparent new nickname you had; and briefly entertain thoughts of asking very improper things of him, but brush them off as exactly that, improper. He was royal after all.

“Judging by that blush of yours, I’m guessing the answer to that is yes?”

You swallow hard, not doubting at all that your surprise was showing on your expression. You hadn’t noticed at all that your thoughts had shown some kind of effect on you, after all.

“Don’t leave me in the dark, sweetheart. Tell me what kind of thoughts you’re having, the kind of things you’d want me to do to distract you.”

You step back from him, your heart pounding against your ribs. Whatever thoughts you were having had now abandoned you entirely, replaced with nervousness and an impeding sense of panic.

That feeling only gets worse as he closes the gap between you, his smile replaced with a grin that very nearly makes shivers run down your spine.

“Being shy all of a sudden, hm? You must be quite the pervert, if this is your reaction.”

Unable to find your voice, you try to muster up a glare that tells him to back off, but the laughter that you recieve in reply is more than adequate at telling you that you’ve failed.

“I’m messing with you, alright? I know you aren’t after anything lewd.”

You almost correct him, which is the most worrying thing about this day.

“Right, of course. Why would I want that, that’d be...weird.”

You sigh quietly, sitting down upon your bed again, desperately confused as to why your first instinct was to correct him. Why the hell would you want those kind of things, and especially from him? It made so little sense.

“It would, huh? And why is that?”

You were really hoping he wouldn’t question it. Maybe that was too hopeful, but it would have been nice. But, as it seemed you had no way of geting out of this in any good way whatsoever, you talked before thinking.

“Quite the list, really. I mean, we’re different species for one. And there’s the fact that you’re royalty and I’m not, not even considering the fact that I’m not even close to sure whether I’m attracted to you in any real way. I mean, I know you’re attractive, but I don’t know why I think that.”

You try to continue, but are halted as your mattress sinks down beside you, Asriel’s weight pushing against your side.

“All this in two days, huh? No wonder you’re struggling. But we’re friends, right? So y’know, you can talk to me about stuff. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, though. So don’t make yourself or anything.”

It must be exhaustion, but you find yourself leaning against Asriel’s shoulder. His fur, even through his clothing, feels incredibly soft.

“You’re far too nice for your own good, you know that? You have no reason to be so kind to me. You don’t really know me.”

“I’d like to know you better. You think I’m this forward with everyone? C’mon.”

You look up to him, raising an eyebrow as if to get more of an answer from him.

“Don’t look at me like that, I mean it. You’re cute, receptive to my flirting, all kinds of stuff. So don’t feel so down on yourself.”

You sigh quietly, leaning a little more heavily against your companion. This was bizarre, to you, to have someone so kind and compassionate; and more bizarre that they would be so willing to spend time with you as Asriel was.

“I’m not cute.”


	6. Discomfort, and an important conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. Not a whole lot to say about this one, only that I'm finally starting to push the relationship a little, and that I hope all of you guys don't hate me too much for not making it all sunshines and rainbows.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy.

You were grateful that things got easier. You weren’t sure why, although you had a sneaking suspicion Asriel had some part in it; but the lack of gossiping, at least audible gossip, was a welcome relief, and had made the past couple of weeks much easier.

You had also found yourself much more comfortable around your caprine roommate, which was perhaps the best part of your short time at the college. It was still hard to forget that he was royalty, at times, but the majority of the time, he was just Asriel. And also, it seemed, your friend. It had been kind of tentative, and awkward at first, but the two of you were most definitely friends now.

That was fine, as far as you were concerned, being friends with someone you were made to live with for the foreseeable future seemed like a pleasant inevitability. But you weren’t prepared for the touches. Small, casual touches that seemed to come so naturally to Asriel, felt so alien to you.

He seemed fine that you rarely reciprocated, but you couldn’t stop yourself from feeling like maybe you were recieving mixed messages on what exactly he wanted the pair of you to be. None of the friends you had had in the past were ever so physical with you, so you had zero history with this kind of interaction.

You dealt with it, though, in your own way. Suppressing anything that could cause awkwardness, and ignoring the rest.

Until he kissed you, that is.

It wasn’t even a real kiss, all things considered. You were finishing off the last couple of chapters of your assigned reading in your room, and Asriel had a class to get to. You knew as much, given that the exact same thing had happened last week.

But last week, he didn’t announce that he would be leaving, and then walk up behind you and kiss you on the cheek, entirely without warning. There was no way in hell that you’d have expected such a thing to happen, so you couldn’t do anything but lock up at the surprise.

By the time you gathered your thoughts enough to call him out on it, he’d already left and you were left by yourself, silent and ridiculously confused. Your skin burnt with an embarrassed heat, your skin tinted red from it.

It was all you could do to pick up the book you hadn’t noticed you’d dropped, re-find your page, and continue reading. That was what you knew you had to do, but your head just wasn’t letting you. Your head was fuzzy with static, the words on the page falling from your memory the moment they entered it.

Unsatisfied with this confusion, you stand, grabbing your phone from your bed and unlocking it. As expected, the first thing to pop up on your screen is the texts Asriel was hounding you with last night while you were at your evening class, one of the few you didn’t share.

Pacing across your room, you quickly text Asriel, trying not to sound too confused or desperate when you ask him why he did what he did; why he kissed you. Not that you considered it a real kiss, you weren’t so naive and childish as that.

But you had to believe that he did that for a reason. The touches seemed to be more instinctual than not, but something like that didn’t happen on accident. He couldn’t have, you flat out refused to believe it.

You hated the minutes that passed before your phone finally lit up. You felt a pang of guilt at the desperation that you felt as you grabbed it from it’s discarded place upon your bed.

‘Was it a problem? I won’t do it again if it was.’

A simple answer, for sure, and innocent enough, but it made your heart pound against your chest. It sounded as if he planned on it becoming a regular thing, which wasn’t how you planned this going at all.

‘Again?’

‘Yeah, again. Unless it’s a problem. Is it a problem?’

You can’t help but smile as you see his texts, his grammar so much more stunted and twisted than his actual speech. The question, however, slows your reply greatly. It wasn’t, technically speaking, a problem. But it was weird.

‘I don’t think so? But don’t you think it’s a little weird, just doing something like that out of nowhere?’

‘No, not really. I’m physical with people, y’know? Especially you, princess.’

Groaning quietly, you tighten the grip on your phone, feeling an embarrassed blush rising to your face.

‘I’m not your princess. You’re literally a prince, and I’m not your girlfriend. Or your boyfriend for that matter.’

‘Not yet.’

You could have sworn you had your phone crack, with how suddenly and how intensely your grip increased on it. What the hell did he mean, not yet? You were just his friend, you’d barely even gotten to know him, and now he was coming out with things like this?

Unable to formulate any real reply to his message, you throw your phone onto your bed, pacing the room as you try to relax.

It was going to be a long day.

\---------------

It was a relief that you hadn’t crossed paths with Asriel on your way to your last class. Your confusion and lingering feeling of disbelief meant that any conversations would have been awkward, and that was something you’d rather wait to deal with.

The class itself was fine, although your concentration was most definitely lacking, your thoughts constantly moving back to Asriel, what he had said and the none-too-subtle implications of it all.

The walk back felt longer than normal, and you felt acutely aware of the inevitable, unwanted conversation that would happen once you got back to your room. Or...home, you supposed. That was what Asriel so willingly took to calling it, and you begrudgingly agreed.

Swallowing down your discomfort, you unlock and push the door open, closing and locking it behind you. Before you even turn back around, you know Asriel is in the room, and most likely looking directly at you.

“You never text me back. Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

God, how can he be that blind? Does he seriously not understand?

You turn, leaning back against the door and meeting his gaze, already deeply uncomfortable.

“I don’t know how okay I am with you being that forward, Asriel. The flirting is already confusing sometimes, and now you’re kissing me goodbye and basically telling me you want us to go out?”

You hate how passive his reaction is. A shrug, and a smile that just barely shows his fangs, which you have to try far too hard not to look at.

“You make it sound like a problem. I told you, princess, I don’t act like this for just anyone.”

You shake your head, skin crawling with your rapidly growing discomfort.

“And that’s supposed to make it less weird? What do you gain from this, Asriel, really? Spreading rumors like this, making me uncomfortable with your forwardness. Have you not heard the kind of shit that people are saying about us, about me?”

You ball your hands into fists, your voice burning in your throat with an unpleasant scratchiness to it.

“What are you talking about? Are...wait, you’re serious, aren’t you? What kind of things have they been saying?”

You hate him. You hate how kind he is, despite the fact that it’s his fault. You hate how upset he looks, the look of genuine guilt on his face. You hate that this is even happening, that you couldn’t just accept what he’s trying to do.

“It’s not a big deal. I’m a grown man, I can deal with people being shitty. I just...what’s the payoff, exactly? What are you getting out of this, because right now it doesn’t seem to be doing shit.”

You can’t break from his gaze as he stands, walking up to you and placing his hand on your shoulder, his grip firm but somehow still gentle. You despise yourself in this moment, so emotionally exposed and vulnerable.

“Then I’ll stop, alright? I told you, I don’t want to make you feel like this. I promise you, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You aren’t the problem. Everyone...no, no you are a part of the problem. I don’t have any idea, at all, how to deal with you. You’re so fucking...so fucking important, and so much better than me, and could so easily have literally anyone you wanted. And yet, you’re seriously trying to make me believe you’re gonna pick me. A C- student at best, who isn’t attractive, or even your own damn species? Come on.”

You step away from him, your chest burning in pain as your heart pounds rapidly within it. You hold his gaze, an achievement in itself, but almost crumple when he pulls you against him, his arms wrapping around you.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realise I was causing you this many problems. If I knew, I’d have backed off sooner. I’ll do what I can to fix this, alright? I don’t enjoy using my status for benefits, but I’m sure I can make sure you aren’t harassed anymore.”

You shake your head, too terrified to raise your arms and return his embrace.

“No. That’ll make it worse. But I appreciate the offer.”

You pull away from him, leaning limply against the door, exhausted from stress. Unable to even bring yourself to smile, you finally pull your eyes away from his intense, piercing gaze.

“Don’t give me false hope like that again, alright? I don’t need that amount of disappointment in my life, Asriel.”


	7. Small, important steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I don't really have a lot to say about this chapter, but I do want to apologise for the slow update, I've been a little up-and-down with health recently. I hope it's good enough, and would appreciate any and all feedback. I hope you all enjoy.

You hated how empty your time felt now. Classes felt far too long, your drive was so low you could trip over it, the list went on. 

And that was before you considered how insufferably awkward and stifling your time at your dormroom had gotten. It had only been three days, but the pair of you already felt so distant. He barely spoke to you, as if scared of causing you more problems. And you didn’t realise how much you missed the casual touches.

You felt unwelcome in your own damned room, and you hated it. You hated him, for acting like this. For being so distant, and so avoidant of anything you did.

But more than all of that, you hated yourself. You blew up at him, when he didn’t deserve it. All he was trying to do was be kind, something you both knew nobody else did. That was why you felt lonelier now, you supposed. The tenuous friendship you were trying to build with Asriel felt broken, and you were struggling just to get through your days.

You couldn’t understand why you were this dejected, either. You’d failed relationships before, it wasn’t as if this was new. Granted, you never had to live with any of those people.

Shaking your head and sighing deeply, you flick through a few pages of your book idly, before closing it softly, resting your head in your hands. Things were supposed to be better here, and that wasn’t even close to the case.

You didn’t really want to pick up your phone as it began vibrating, all the more so when you saw it was Asriel on the other end. But, knowing no good would come of ignoring him, you resign yourself to a quiet sigh and pick up the phone, opening the call and raising the phone to your ear.

“Yes?”

“I got through, finally. Where are you, you just disappeared mid-class.”

You lean back in your chair, feeling the metal digging into your back as you stare up at the ceiling.

“I had reading to catch up on. I’ll get the paperwork later. Why are you checking up on me, Asriel?”

You weren’t comfortable with how harsh your voice sounded, even to you. But, try as you might, you couldn’t stop yourself from being mad at him. It was his fault that you felt like this, if he had just kept himself to himself this wouldn’t be a problem.

“Because we’re friends, maybe? What’s gotten into you, princess, you’ve been acting really distant.”

“I didn’t notice.”

You felt more than a little tempted just ot hang up on him, and suffer the consequences later this evening. But that was petty, and you weren’t mad enough at him for that, not yet.

His sigh grates against your ear, the harsh noise against your speaker more than a little unpleasant.

“I’m worried about you, alright? I’m not going to mother you and tell you to get back to class or whatever, I just don’t want you to fall behind. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I-”

You cut him off, your voice sounding alien as it falls from your mouth, your tone harsh and brutally unkind.

“I don’t care, Asriel. Stop trying to blame this on me. If you stopped trying so hard to bed me, none of this would have happened now, would it?”

The silence on the other end of the phone hurts more than you expected, and lasts far too long.

“That wasn’t what I was trying to do. Listen, just...let’s talk about this back at our dorm, alright? I’ll see you later.”

You drop the phone in frustration as he hangs up, a tangled ball of confusion and anger caught in your chest. Why was he still trying so hard? Could he not see how much you had struggled because of him?

Resting your head on the table in front of you, you sigh heavily and resign yourself to the fact that that conversation will be inescapable and that you will, eventually, be forced to face him.

\----------------

Trying to avoid him by coming back late didn’t work, apparently; which frustrated you greatly. Opening the door carefully so as not to bother anyone, you step inside and leave the door unlocked behind you, closing it as quietly as you can.

“You tried to avoid me.”

“Yes, I did. Because I don’t want to talk about it.”

It shouldn’t hurt that he looks upset. You know that. But it does, and it hurts badly.

“I already told you that I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable, don’t you see that? I just thought...I don’t know what I thought, really. Just, y’know, maybe it’d be nice to actually have someone who isn’t scared to be around me all the time.”

You aren’t paying much attention to yourself as you walk over to your bed, which Asriel is sat upon, and join him there.

“I’m not scared of you, Asriel. I’m just...you keep sending too many mixed messages. And we both know that you’re way, way out of my league, even if I had any real interest in guys; which I don’t even know if I have.”

“Then how about I clear it up for you?”

You look over to him, exhauted and half-terrified of what he would say next, but nod weakly in a silent plea for him to continue.

“Before, when you said about false hope. I’m not trying to give you that. I do have interest in you. I’m not sure if it’s romantic or just platonic, but I know I care.”

“But why? Why do you care, Asriel? I’m not worth the time of someone like you.”

You shrink away slightly as he tries to pull you closer, and you’re silently very grateful that he chooses to drop his hand instead.

“Don’t be like that. My status doesn’t mean anything when it comes to my personal interests, or what kind of person I’m interested in, either.”

“But you’re a Prince! You can’t just...I’m not royalty, or anything close to it. And I’m human. Isn’t that enough barriers?”

He shrugs, and you hate it. You hate how calm he is, while you feel ready to collapse from panic and nervousness.

“Honestly, I don’t care. I want to be your friend, and who knows what might come of it?”

You hang your head, your eyes heavy-lidded as you drop back, falling down upon the mattress of your bed, realising only now that you’ve been staring at far too many ceilings.

“You’re persistent, aren’t you?”

“More than you possibly know.”

“And you really think there could be something between us?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ve only know you for about a month. But, y’know, I wouldn’t be against it. Would you?”

You opened your mouth to reply, but finding no answer, closed it again. Would you be okay with being with Asriel? There were a lot more layers to that kind of thing that there might seem at first.

“I don’t know, honestly. I’ll have to find out.”


	8. Unexpected Situations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. Although I've been feeling rundown and stuff recently, being ill has given me more time to write. Sooo, yeah. That's why this is out so quickly. I hope it's as good as you all expect.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy, and am eternally grateful for any and all feedback I receive. It's more important to me than you know.

“I said I’m sorry!”

Asriel’s voice, muffled by the hastily-slammed door, didn’t sound like he was sorry at all. Your whole body burnt with embarrassment as you threw your clothes on as quickly as you could. The fabric felt more like a shield than clothing, and you hestitantly opened the door. At least he’d had the decency to turn around.

“Alright, I’m decent. For the love of god, don’t ever do that again.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I went into an unlocked room without lights on. However could I have known?”

“Pay more attention next time, idiot!”

You’re not mad, really, more embarrassed; and grateful he seems to be as well.

“Alright, alright. Why are you here, anyhow? Didn’t you have class?”

He shrugs, and you raise an eyebrow at his non-commital answer.

“I wanted to come check up on you. And yes, I have class. But later on, it got moved for some reason.”

“Sure, whatever. I guess I can’t get mad at you for skipping class as I’ve already done it once.”

“Exactly. So, how have you been holding up? I had to run before you woke up this morning.”

You shrug, walking past him and climbing onto his desk, sitting upon the hardwood surface.

“Eh, I’ve been alright. There hasn’t been as much talk behind my back, I’ve noticed. It’s been kind of nice.”

Your embarrassment only deepens as you see him smile. Something about his smile ruins your resolve, you’ve noticed. Perhaps it’s the fangs. It’s almost definitely the fangs.

“That’s good to hear. You certainly seem happier. Behind all that embarrassment, I mean.”

“Ugh, shut up. I’m allowed to be embarrassed, alright? You barged in on me while I was naked.”

“True. If it’s any consolation, you’re a lot more attractive without your clothes on. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing you like that again.”

You’re more surprised at how that doesn’t embarrass you, despite the forwardness of the compliment. Your friendship with Asriel finally felt like it was starting to fall back into how it was. It felt...right.

“Feeling more forward than normal, goatboy?”

“Maybe a little. I’m glad you aren’t getting talked about, but...maybe I want to give people a reason to talk about you.”

Only slightly uncomfortable with how quickly he approaches you, you lean back a little so you aren’t practically within kissing range.

“And what kind of reason would that be, exactly? I hope you aren’t thinking of anything too lewd.”

He leans forward, and you can feel your heart-rate spiking. Your relationship with him had definitely gotten to it’s closest, if this was anything to go by, and you were more comfortable with it than you expected; and couldn’t understand why.

“I don’t think I have the time for that, unfortunately.”

His expression quickly changes from flirtatious to concerned, his back straightening as he steps a little away from you.

“I-I’m sorry. I told you I wouldn’t be like this. It’s not weird, is it?”

You pause for a brief moment, before shaking your head.

“No, it’s not. I’m okay with flirting with you, Asriel. Honestly, it feels kinda nice, having someone pay attention to me like this. I’ve been single for...longer than I care to admit, so this is nice.”

Your caprine companion joins you atop his desk, and you lean against his shoulder.

“It’s not weird that I’m a guy, anymore? I’d call that progress. Or turning you gay. Maybe they’re the same.”

“Maybe they are, who knows? But no, no it’s not weird. The weird part is the status difference, nothing more.”

“Not even the interspecies thing?”

You shrug weakly, wondering just how much the pair of you looked like a domestic couple right now.

“Not really? I mean, I haven’t thought about it much. How many differences could there be, anyway? I mean, you have fur, horns and fangs. Isn’t that kind of it?”

“Physically, I guess. I’m also made of magic, so there’s that, but that won’t come up much. Y’know, unless you’re into anything kinkier than I’m expecting.”

“Ugh, gross. Jeez, you’re talking like you’ve already got a plan in place to sleep with me.”

“Well...”

You look up and over to him, equally concerned and intruiged.

“I’m screwing with you, of course I haven’t. You’re cute, but we’re only friends.”

“Is that really all you want, though?”

You pull away from him, turning and pulling your legs up, sitting with them crossed atop the desk. Unbidden and complex emotions tugged at your heart, and you found your voice shaking a little.

“Honestly? I’m cool with whatever you want. I won’t lie and say I wouldn’t like to be your boyfriend, but we’re doing just fine as we are, don’t you think?”

You knew what his answer would be, deep down, but it still shook you. The concept of anyone wanting to be your partner wasn’t something you’d considered since...the early years of high school, but this was far beyond that.

“You’re serious, aren’t you? You’re actually serious.”

“Uhhh...yeah? You don’t have to sound like I just told you the meaning of life, y’know.”

“What can I say? If I had a list of things I expected to happen while at college, dating would already be pretty low on it. Dating someone like you? Wouldn’t even be on it.”

“Do you want to add it to the list?”

“Is that your way of asking me out, Asriel?”

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. But, I gotta get to class. Soooo, I’m gonna leave you to stew in your new-found discomfort, and will see you when I get back. Alright? Alright.”

The surprise of Asriel’s sudden change of pace, and the fact that he grabs his bag and leaves before you get the chance to gather yourself, leaves you in exactly the situation he claimed you would be.

“I think I just got asked out. I think? Is that...that’s a thing. Huh.”


	9. An important step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. There's not a whole lot I can say about this one without spoiling it, soooo, enjoy!

You were far more nervous than you expected to be, during your last class of the day. Your leg was bouncing uncontrollably as you twirled your pen around your fingers, glancing often enough at the clock that your lecturer called you out on it.

You were more than a little glad you’d left your phone back at your room, so that you couldn’t be hounded by Asriel and his constant, teasing texts. That isn’t at all what you needed, especially given that your heart felt as if it was running a million miles an hour.

It was rather difficult not to look desperate to leave when you were given the chance to. You were pretty sure you failed, but you didn’t care. You had to get some real answers out of Asriel, after his disappearance before.

Pushing through the crowds that always formed quickly at this time of day, you took the stairs down two at a time before making a light jog back to the dorm; all the while going over what you wanted to ask him. 

That was what you were telling yourself, at least. Honestly, you were just kind of hoping he was joking. If he had just been messing with you, which wouldn’t really be unlike him, this would be fine. It’d just be another day that left you a little more confused than normal.

If he was serious...well, you weren’t prepared for that. You had been so convinced of that not being the case that you hadn’t thought of any contingency plans. 

It was for that reason that your hands were shaking as you grabbed the door handle, pushing it open and stepping into your dorm room, hoping that Asriel would be inside.

He was, much to your relief. Much less to your relief, however, he was also topless, and dripping wet, clearly having just gotten out of a shower. You were almost willing to believe that he timed this deliberately. That would be like him.

“Oh, hey princess. Didn’t hear you come in.”

Rolling your eyes at the nickname you never asked for, you push the door closed and lean against it.

“Still calling me princess, huh? Are you entirely unaware that I’m a guy, or something?”

“No, I know you’re male. I wouldn’t be interested if you were a girl. You don’t mind if I dress, do you? I can take my clothes into the ensuite.”

You raise an eyebrow, crossing your arms over your chest. You had expected him to be forward, more so than normal, but this was more than you were expecting.

“Don’t look at me like that. Now that we’re closer than before, I didn’t think it’d be weird. Is it weird?”

“Asking me whether or not I want to see you naked? I mean, it’s a little weird. Quite a lot weird, really.”

Asriel shrugs, grabbing some clothes from the wardrobe and walking back through to the ensuite bedroom. You take the time of his disappearance to walk into the room fully, hanging your bag over a hook that had turned up at some point, most likely due to Asriel as you certainly didn’t do it.

It wasn’t long before he returns, still topless but with the towel replaced with a pair of shorts. He was very attractive, when you saw him like this. Not overly muscular, but certainly your type.

“I’m guessing you like what you see, hm?”

You freeze, looking up and making rather intense eye-contact with Asriel, a vibrantly red blush covering your skin.

“I’m flattered, truly.”

“Shut up, Asriel. I’m not staring, you’re just not wearing a lot. I’m not syre where to look, is all.”

“That makes sense, I guess. You seem jumpy though, you alright?”

You lock up, overly tensed and almost ready to panic.

“I’m fine. Just...I want to ask, Asriel. Were you serious, before? When you were talking about asking me out?”

This time Asriel is the one to look somewhat uncomfortable, before he steps closer to you. You notice that his arms are tensed, almost as if he’s trying to hold himself back from something.

“You make it sound like I’d lie about something like that. If you’re comfortable with it, I’d love to go out on a date sometime. I’m not gonna make you, or anything. We don’t have to, but...y’know, like I said. I think you’re cute, and seeing as we flirt so often, I kinda feel like we should make something of it.”

So that was that. The clearest, most honest answer you would ever get about what kind of situation Asriel wanted. Also, the one you were most definitely hoping would be the case. Or not the case. You couldn’t think straight enough to remember.

“Y-you’re actually serious. You realise how hard that is to believe, don’t you? You’re literally the heir to an entire people, and you...you think I’m just going to accept that you want to go out with me?”

Asriel’s normally ever-present smile falls, and he visibly deflated at your rebuttal. A wave of guilt immediately floods over you, your throat tightening as you struggle to come to terms with what you just did.

“I guess I was just being stupid, huh?”

“No, Asriel, it’s...”

“Don’t worry, I got it. I’ll back off, alright, so you won’t have to worry about me being so forward anymore.”

He sounded so defeated that it almost brought you physical pain, and the sound of his voice filled you with a burning desire to fix it. To remove his unhappiness, even moreso due to it being your fault.

“I don’t want you to stop. I’m terrified of the idea that someone like you would have even the slightest interest in me. Like, the fact that we’re friends is fucking insane. When I called my parents the other day, they didn’t believe me, because why would they? And now I’m meant to just...get that you’re into me? Like, really?”

Asriel shrugs, still looking rather unsure of himself and disappointed from your refusal of him. Refusing to let this continue, you reach out and grab Asriel’s hand. Paw? Whichever it was, you reach out for it and hold it tightly, looking up to him with as much determination you could muster.

“I’d be honored, Asriel. Going out with you would be a huge deal for me. Like, yeah I’m still not a hundred percent sure just how gay I am. But for you, I’m actually kinda sure it’s a sure thing.”

You feel more than a little grateful for Asriel’s smile, and how his grip tightens on yours. You were honest with him, moreso than you expected to be. You weren’t completely sure of your sexuality. You knew it was fluid enough, but you felt far more convinced of your attraction to Asriel than anything else.

“Are you sure? You seemed so willing to turn me down a minute ago.”

“I’m absolutely sure. I’d love to see where this goes, Asriel. I mean it, despite how fucking shaky my voice is, that’s because I’m freaking out. Like, I haven’t even thought about dating anyone in forever, and...you’re the first person that changes that. A prince. Like, yeah. Scared as shit.”

Your heart pounds against your chest, your breathing coming in short and ragged bursts, and you suddenly become painfully aware that you’ll likely fall into a panic attack if you don’t calm down soon.

“Alright. A-alright, that sounds great. Really, it does. Sorry for freaking out.”

You smile weakly, stumbling a little on your feet as dizziness hits you like a brick. You lean back against the nearest wall, trying to regain a little balance.

“Hey, are you alright? You look really ill all of a sudden. Is something wrong?”

You nod your head weakly, bringing a hand to your head as the movement causes the room to spin.

“Mhm, I’m fine. Just, y’know, about to have a panic attack. I’m not good at this kind of thing, it gets to me. I’ll be okay, just...need to sit down. And maybe grab some water or something, I don’t know. Ow.”

You don’t notice that Asriel steps up to you until you feel his arm wrapping around your shoulders. Instinctively, you lean into him, stumbling alongside him as he walks you to your bed, sitting down beside you.

“Thanks. Sorry for this, it just kinda happens sometimes, so don’t worry too much alright?”

“I will worry. You are technically my boyfriend now, whether you like it or not. That’s how this happens, after all. You agreed to go out with me, so enjoy your new title, princess.”

“Oh my god, shut up Asriel. You’re such a jerk.”

“But I’m your jerk now.”


	10. Discomfort, and finding it's cure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I realise I'm getting these chapters out really quickly, but seeing as I'm still stuck in bed from sickness, this is the best way I have of passing the time. Either way, I wanted to thank all of you for all the feedback you're giving me. I might be awful at replying to it, as I don't really know how to; but it means so much to me to hear from you all. You guys are the reason I do this after all.
> 
> So, thank you, truthfully, and I hope you continue to enjoy what I write.

You hated confrontation. Everything about it terrified you. Which is why, right now, you felt ready to collapse.

“God, look at you. Such a fucking coward, backing up like this. What’s the matter, can’t take being called out as a monster-loving freak?”

It was near-impossible to find your voice, sweat beading on your forehead as you struggle to defend yourself. You couldn’t know whether or not they were right. Was it actually okay to be so close to Asriel? Were you a freak for that kind of thing?

“You’re so pathetic. Why don’t you grow a pair and stop acting like such a coward, huh?”

The monster, who’s name you don’t know and likely will never care enough to find out, steps closer to you and you step back on instinct, your hands shaking as your heart rate spikes again, causing a sharp stabbing pain in your chest. Now was absolutely not the time for an attack, not here. This would be the worst possible thing.

“Ugh, whatever. I’m not going to waste my time on you, sicko. But don’t you dare think you’re going to escape this. Things like you don’t last long in this place.”

You’re so focused on not falling to the floor in a heap that you don’t see the monster or her...their? Their friends leaving. Your eyes stung with tears as you tightened the grip you have on your bag.

It’s all you can do to keep upright. Grateful that you have no classes for a few hours, you half-walk, half-stumble out of the building, making your way over to the quiet area you’d claimed as your own. Asriel was aware of it now, too, but you were happy, if you could even really feel happy right now, that you were able to be alone.

Throwing you bag to the floor, you slide your back down the coarse trunk of the tree, your throat tight as you do everything you can not to break down into tears. How could you have been foolish enough to think that things could be okay? Of course they wouldn’t. You were a human in a place humans shouldn’t be.

You aren’t sure how much time passes, but your stupor is torn from you by your ringtone. You don’t want to pick it up, but seeing that it’s Asriel on the other end, a small, fruitless hope that maybe he’d make you feel better rises in you, and that alone makes you accept the call.

“Hey, princess. I got let out a little early from 301, do you wanna meet up for lunch or something?”

You smile weakly, sniffling and rubbing at your eyes.

“I’d love to, but I’m not feeling too hot right now. Maybe another time?”

You can almost hear Asriel trying to figure out if anything is wrong. You hadn’t even gone on that date you were trying to plan yet, but Asriel’s already high level of affection skyrocketed since you had made the decision to try out a relationship.

“Alright, tell me what happened. I have time, so let’s talk.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“I’m not hanging up on you until you give me a full explanation. I’m worried about you, so tell me. Or at least tell me where you are so I can come and hug you better.”

You can’t stop yourself from smiling and laughing softly, the pain in your chest turning into a pleasant warmth at his kindness.

“I’m under the tree I showed you, the one by the north corner of Arts. Don’t take too long, alright? I could really do with your company.”

“Got it, I’ll be right there. Love you.”

You choke on your reply, dropping the phone out of panic. Hoping desperately that he had already hung up, you pull your knees to your chest. Your phone felt like a brick of hot lead against your stomach, burning a reminder of what he said into your skin.

“I swear to god, if he keeps surprising me like this he’s going to fucking kill me. My heart feels like it’s going to rupture.”

\------------

“Hey. Sorry I took so long, I dropped my bag off at home.”

You shrug noncommitally, leaning on Asriel’s shoulder after he sits down beside you. His company does all the work you hoped it would, relaxing your still racing heart.

“It’s no problem. I’m glad you came, Azzy.”

He smiles, his furred arm curling around your shoulders and pulling you closer to him. It was this kind of moment that you were only recently being harrassed for, but it didn’t feel wrong. You felt comfortable this close to him.

“Glad to be here. So, what happened?”

You sigh, shuffling closer to him as you reluctantly admit that speaking about it might help, even if only a little.

“I got confronted, earlier, just after my lecture finished. I don’t know who it was, and really I don’t...care all that much. But they called me out for being close to you. I’m not hurt, or anything, it just freaked me out.”

You wince slightly as Asriel’s grip tightens on your shoulder, almost possessively pulling you toward him. 

“That’s such bullshit. You don’t deserve that kind of hounding, you aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“I know that. I think I know that, at least. I mean, it’s not exactly normal to feel attracted to monsters. It’s not bad, just...unusual.”

“I know. But if this kind of thing continues, we’ll stop. I can’t let you get hurt, okay?”

You smile softly, shifting and lying down with your head in your new partner’s lap. Looking up toward him, framing him in the sunlight that falls through the branches of the tree you’re both said beneath, it really hammers home just how intensely attracted you were to the caprine.

“You worry too much, Azzy. I’m an adult, I can...mostly deal with that kind of stuff. I just get kinda scared easily. It’s easy to get intimidated by monsters, seeing as they’re literally made of a thing humans are completely unable to use.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Asriel smiles down at you, running his clawed fingers through your hair and humming softly to himself, leaning back upon the tree-trunk.

“Hey, Asriel?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“First off, never call me that again. Second, why did you say what you did before the phone call ended?”

The pause before Asriel’s answer worries you somewhat, but you find yourself unable to get too nervous.

“I mean, it’s the truth? I didn’t realise it’d be an issue. Am I moving too fast again?”

You smile softly at Asriel’s nervousness, proof of how deeply he cared, or at least showed he cared. You had no idea how well it correlated with his actual level of caring.

“You just keep surprising me, that’s all. I’m not sure if that counts as you moving too fast, but if you keep doing these things it’s going to cause me some health problems. You made my chest really start hurting after you gave me that particular shock.”

You’re unsure whether to be annoyed or cheered up by the fact that your statements caused Asriel to laugh, his fingers curling into your hair, pulling it gently.

“Well then, I apologise. I’ll be sure to warn you next time I show you affection.”

You roll your eyes at the sarcasm dripping from his words, the worry from before having mostly melted away by now. Not entirely, of course, but mostly.

“Mhm, I’m sure that’ll be so much help, Azzy. There’s no way that would make you look like a massive dweeb in any way whatsoever.”

“Hey, I don’t care what I look like. As long as it makes you happy and keeps any bigoted assholes away from you, it’s good enough for me.”

You blush slightly, almost tempted to pull Asriel down and kiss him. Although...now that you thought about it, how would you do that? He was shaped differently from you, so it wouldn’t be like kissing a human, which you at least had some experience with, even if it wasn’t much.

“What’s that look for, sweetheart? You went bright red all of a sudden.”

Glaring at Asriel for using the nickname you were less willing to accept, you staunchly refuse to answer his question, staying entirely silent.

“Aww, giving me the silent treatment? Is that really any way to treat your new boyfriend?”

This time, you’re far more aware of the blush covering your skin, rolling over onto your side so you’re staring out and away from Asriel, not willing to let him win if you could help it.

“You’re a jerk, Asriel. You know that?”

“Absolutely. Honestly, I enjoy it. But seriously, what’s up?”

You shrug, your voice shaking a little as you reluctantly answer.

“I was just wondering what it would be like to kiss you. Your face isn’t quite human shaped, after all, and I don’t have any experience with hon-humans.”

“We could always change that. Not right now, if you don’t wanna. But at some point.”

You roll onto your back again, looking up at Asriel once more. It didn’t seem like a bad idea, exactly, but you were worried that would be too fast. Things were already moving faster than you were completely comfortable with, and doing more might make that worse.

“At some point. Things are already moving fast enough, don’t you think? I mean, we haven’t even gone on our first date yet.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. We should really get on that, actually. Maybe this weekend?”

You shrug noncommitally, more than happy to let Asriel decide. You were never that great at decisions anyhow, so this worked out just fine, as far as you were concerned. 

Regardless, your attention was focused far more on the details of Asriel’s facial structure. The angles of his muzzle, the thicker patches of black fur that almost looked like sideburns if you looked at them at the right angle. The curve of his jaw, and the way that his mouth was always slightly opened by his fangs; there was a lot that seperated him from a human.

“You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

You hadn’t meant to speak your thoughts aloud, but the rather smug-looking grin that formed on Asriel’s face proved your mistake adequately.

“Why thank you, sweetheart, I’m flattered. I mean, I agree with you completely, but it feels nice to be appreciated. You’re quite the looker yourself, you know. Certainly one of the most attractive humans I’ve ever met.”

You smile weakly at the almost definitely hyperbolic statement, but feel an intense rush of warmth coursing through you at the compliment.

“Don’t be like that, Azzy. Oh, uh...how long do we have until class?”

“Like, two hours or so? We haven’t been out here for three hours yet, that’s for sure. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious. The last thing I want is for us to end up late for class, together. There’s already way too many rumors circulating about us. Do you really want to deal with more?”

“There are rumors about us?”

You raise an eyebrow, unsure if it was possible for him to be unaware. They weren’t exactly well-hidden rumors, after all, if how often you heard them was any indication.

“You haven’t heard them? It’s all I ever hear anymore.”

“I guess I haven’t been paying as much attention as you. Why not tell me a few?”

“Sure, it’ll be a good way of filling some more time.”


	11. The first of many

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I'm starting to feel healthier again, so hopefully this comes across in an increase of writing quality. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, as I feel like I'm really starting to get things going from here on out.
> 
> Enjoy, everyone.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

You smile weakly, wiping the sleep from your eyes and sitting up, throwing the covers off yourself.

“Good morning yourself. What time is it?”

“Time for you to get up. Our only class is cancelled today, since Anita is unwell. So we, my dear, are going on our date today.”

His words wake you up faster than you expected, the surprise shaking away most of your tiredness. You spin on your heels, hoping for him to continue, or at least give you a little more information than that.

“Not now, obviously. There’d be no point in leaving when you’re still half-awake. But, is that good with you? It’ll be my treat, of course.”

You smile softly, stepping upto him on unbalanced feet, before leaning forward, your forehead resting on his chest. You feel a small, but important wave of warmth flowing through you as Asriel’s furred arms wrap around you, his thick fur acting as a blanket of sorts.

“I’ll take this as a yes. I have it all planned already, since I got up about an hour ago. So you don’t have to worry about a thing, all you need to do is look as gorgeous as you always do.”

“This is a lot of flattery so early. What exactly do you have planned for this date? Will I be able to walk tomorrow?”

“That depends on how it goes.”

You laugh softly, snuggling up against your partner’s chest. It had been barely a week that your relationship had taken the step it had, but you were already quite intimate with each other, albeit in very vanilla ways. Honestly, you were quite surprised at his self-control.

“Is that so? Are you feeling that adventurous today, Azzy?”

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. You’ll just have to find out after our date, won’t you?”

You pull away from Asriel’s embrace, pushing a few stray strands of hair out of your face as you try to get some amount of information from his expressions. No such luck, unfortunately, this time.

“I guess I will, but you know I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

“I know that. But I have to make things a little interesting, don’t I? I mean, where would the fun in our first date be, if you knew everything about it?”

\----------------

The two hours between being woken up and getting dressed for your date were, in your memory, the most stressful two hours of your life. Asriel left soon after waking you up, claiming he had to ‘organise things for the date’, and had left you to yourself, which felt like a cruel and unusual form of torture.

You weren’t even sure how dressed up you needed to be. Asriel was rich, after all, incredibly so, so there was quite a chance that he would be taking you to somewhere fancy, which would require your best clothes. But he also might not do that, which means you had to wear something more casual. 

You spent longer on that decision than you cared to accept, but finally decided to hedge your bets and wear something that wasn’t exactly casual, but also wasn’t overly expensive-looking either. You weren’t too comfortable being stuck halfway like this, but the outfit itself certainly felt like it would suit.

Fixing your collar in the mirror, you look yourself up and down, brushing down the fabric of your shirt as if it would make the slightest bit of difference. Your nerves were fried, your hands were shaking, and that was the least of your worries.

You’d never been on a real date, you realised. Nobody you had been with in the past was even close to serious about the relationship, but this felt very different. It felt, at least at times, like Asriel really was serious about you. The novelty of what was happening between the two of you still wasn’t lost on you, but you were absolutely convinced that you were incredibly happy with your relationship.

This must be what it feels like to be in love, you assumed. It felt far too storybook for your liking, and that alone made it hard to believe that there was any real connection; that it really was just a trick that he’d eventually get bored of.

That was why you were expecting to be stood up. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise. He’d make an excuse, play it off as not much of a big deal, and you would be crushed. It had happened before, and you expected it here. It would make sense, of course. He was better than you.

“You look outstanding.”

Asriel’s voice startles you, and you spin around to look at him, your heart racing in your chest as you see him, or more importantly his outfit.

His fur has clearly been carefully brushed, his horns look a little different to before although you can’t put your finger on how; but his suit is what catches your eye. The material looks incredibly expensive even from a distance, the close-fitting fabric a wonderfully rich navy blue. Beneath it, a black shirt that fits tight enough for you to notice a little too much muscle.

He was gorgeous, and in that moment you felt almost like a schoolgirl in a crappy anime, falling head-over-heels for the older, majestic type. You could almost imagine the heart symbols in your eyes right about now.

“I do? Have you seen yourself in the mirror?”

It’s a rushed answer, spilling breathlessly from you as you walk up to him, barely restraining yourself from doing anything more.

“I have, yes. But that’s not the point, is it? You look wonderful, truly.”

You can’t stop yourself from smiling, a red tint rising to your skin as you do so. You felt more than a little breathless, and seeing him in a suit like this caused a familiar sensation with an all-new cause. As much as you hated to admit it, Asriel looking like this was very arousing.

“Thank you. But, uh, should we go? I mean, you spent two hours sorting all this out so you’ve got my hopes up now.”

“Then I hope you’ll be satisfied.”

He takes your hand in his, and you fall in step beside him as he leads you from the room, closing the door behind you. Your entire body aches from nervousness and anticipation, and your mind, much to your frustration, immediately goes back to his half-promise of a very interesting evening after your date.

With your mind now thoroughly occupied on things you’d much rather it wasn’t focusing on, you tighten your grip on Asriel’s hand, having decided it was called that, and lean up against his shoulder. 

“So, what do you have planned for us, Azzy?”

“I’ve gotten us a table at this really Chinese place, since that’s your favorite cuisine. I’m not sure if you’ve been there, but I hope you haven’t, since I’d like the specifics to be a surprise.”

You couldn’t remember telling him that exact thing about you, but you were flattered that he’d remember such a small detail. You still weren’t okay with having so many details kept from you, but you felt like it was probably for the best. Hopefully.

\--------------

“You’re kidding me. This was where you got us a table?”

You’re entirely unable to hold back your surprise when you finally arrive at your destination. You had already started feeling out of place when Asriel had taken you into the wealthier part of the city, much more aware of the stares the pair of you were recieving than he was.

But this? One of the most expensive restaurant places in the entire city? This was ridiculous. This place was way above what your family had ever been able to afford, their meals were astoundingly expensive.

“Yeah, why? I mean, did you expect anything less? C’mon now, I’m not going to have a boyfriend and not spoil them, am I?”

This was too much. The idea of going on a date with Asriel was already more than you were really willing to accept, but going somewhere like this was enough to cause a rapidly-blossoming, burning sensation in your chest.

“No, A-Azzy, we can’t. This place is too much, we couldn’t possibly go here. I’d love to, but this? I can’t do this.”

You pull away from his grip, your hands shaking as your breathing catches in your throat, panic burning in your chest. You can’t bring yourself to look at him, out of embarrassment and shame.

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

You feel sick from stress, barely able to restrain yourself from bolting. This wasn’t how you wanted this to go at all. Things were meant to g osmoothly, not fail before they even began.

You get so caught up in your thoughts that you don’t notice Asriel calling your name until his hand is placed upon your shoulder, breaking you from your panic. Not entirely, but enough to give you something to focus on.

His expression, warm and loving and incredibly concerned, makes you feel sick to your stomach. Guilt surges through you, self-blame coming to the forefront of your thoughts. You didn’t need to act like this, but you did, and look at what it caused.

“Are you alright? Do you want to head home?”

His words are muffled, your thoughts a cloud of confusion and a web of complicated emotions. You shake your head in reply, desperate to keep some semblance of understanding. You could get through this, for his sake.

“Are you sure? I promised I wouldn’t force you, and I mean it.”

You feel like breaking down. Your heart is pounding against your chest and you can feel tears stinging at your eyes, but you wipe them away and swallow down your fear as best you can.

“No, I can do this for you. I don’t want to ruin this, so it’s okay.”

His grip tightens on your shoulder, and you feel his claws digging into your shirt, likely punching small holes into it, not that you cared. All you wanted was for Asriel to be happy. He did all of this for you after all.

“Idiot, you aren’t ruining anything. We can do whatever makes you most comfortable, alright?”

You smile weakly, stepping into Asriel and leaning against him, sniffling and nuzzling into his likely very expensive suit.

“I’m so sorry, Azzy. I can’t help these panics, I really can’t.”

“I understand, princess. I’m sorry to cause you all this stress. So, let’s figure out something we can do together, alright? I can cancel our table, it’s no big deal.”

“No, it’s...I’m just nervous. Really nervous. What if I do something stupid and show you up? I don’t belong in this kind of place, it’s for people like you.”

Asriel smiles, pulling you closer against him and tightening his grip, his voice lowered so that you wouldn’t be overheard, although you were sure that you were attracting some stares from passers-by.

“Then we’ll go wherever you want, if you’re that uncomfortable. It’s not a problem, I promise. I want you to enjoy today, you know that.”

You smile weakly, before stepping free of Asriel’s grip. Standing in front of him, your focus is entirely on the monster in front of you.

“Thank you, Asriel. Really. But I don’t want to cause you-”

“You won’t be causing problems.”

“You say that, but it’s hard to believe.”

Your self-deprecating smile seems to cause something within Asriel, as he takes your hand and half-drags you away from the restaurant. You stumble from his walking speed, struggling to catch up with him.

“What are you doing? Where are we going?”

“Away from prying eyes.”

Not at all reassured by that, you jog to keep up with Asriel’s pace, hoping that he’s willing to explain properly when you arrive wherever he was taking you.

\------------

A park, as it turns out, was your destination. The place was in pristine condition, but was also entirely empty. You hadn’t seen another person, human or monster, since you entered the park or it’s immediate surroundings.

“Why have you brought me here? Asriel, what’s going on?”

“I brought us here for some peace and quiet. You looked like you were on the brink of another attack, so I wanted to help you relax.”

You let out a breath you weren’t aware you were holding, now feeling more confused than before. You didn’t know much, but you were pretty damned sure that this wasn’t how dating was supposed to go, at all.

“You’re clearly scared, so I want to help. Is that alright with you?”

“What kind of help, exactly?”

“Anything. I’m, at least temporarily, at your behest.”

“At my wha-you know what, never mind. Why are you acting so weird?”

He smiles, stepping closer to you and placing his hand on your shoulder, a gesture that seemed to be all too common at this point. You look up toward him, half-scowling from your panicking and confusion.

“Because I want to take care of you. I want you to enjoy today, princess. Alright?”

You can’t help but smile despite yourself. It’s frustrating how easily he gets to you, and manipulates your emotions. But, regardless, he truly is caring and you can’t stop yourself from believing in his decisions.

“I am enjoying myself. Just because I’m stressed out, doesn’t mean I’m not having fun.”

And it’s true, weirdly. Your stress is severe, yes. But it isn’t enough to stop you from enjoying yourself, in Asriel’s company. The stares you recieved earlier gave you a bizarre sense of satisfaction, and you almost saught more. The thrill of being seen with Asriel, someone so hugely important, was surprisingly addictive.

“Then why don’t we take a break from busy areas, and relax here, hmm? After all, I gave you a lot of half-promises that I should make good on, don’t I?”

A sudden rush of embarrassment burns beneath your skin as you remember what kind of things he was alluding to, many of which were most definitely illegal outdoors.

“Relax, sweetheart, not all the promises. I don’t want our first date to end in prison. But the legal ones, I think we can work on.”

You laugh softly, resting your head against Asriel’s chest as the quiet of the park eases some of the tension from your muscles.

“Are you gonna tell me why this park is so abandoned? Did you use some kind of princely magic to ensure it?”

“Normally I’d make an excuse, but yes. Yes I did. I wanted to take you here after our dinner, but now works just fine.”

His hand trails up to your neck, the points of his claws gently scratching into your skin, lines of heat forming there as he forces you to look at him, and you suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to kiss him. 

“So tell me. Now that we’re completely alone, and can’t be disrupted, what shall we do?”

Dozens of answers form nearly instantly, tangling together before you stumble out your answer, your breathing as shaky as your nerves.

“C-can I kiss you? Would that be okay?”

“Of course you can. I was hoping for something a little spicier than that, but it’s a start.”

He steps up toward you, his hand moving to the back of your neck and pulling you closer against him, his claws digging deeper into your skin. You can’t stop yourself from hissing from the sharp pain, your eyes still locked on Asriel’s.

“Do you want me to take charge?”

“You do with everything else, so why not? Take the lead, my prince.”

There’s a spark of anger in his eyes, the smile on his face turning a little...something. Possessive, perhaps? You aren’t too sure.

Before you get the chance to ask where his witty reply is, he closes the gap between you. His fur brushes against your skin as his muzzle presses against your face, his head tilted just so. You match his motions as best you can, with your surprise slowing your reactions.

The first thing you notice is his scent. As he nuzzles against you, marking you with it, it overwhelms you. An earthen smell, somewhat resembling flowers, fills your nose as his fur scratches at your skin.

His free hand moves behind you, pulling you by your hip so that you’re pressed right up against him, your heart pounding in your chest as he bites at your neck; short spikes of pain as his fangs sink through your skin.

“I th-thought you wanted to kiss me, not mark me. C’mon, hurry up.”

You enjoy teasing him. It’s one of the small victories you can get over him, and it always, without fail, draws a reaction. This time, it’s a hard, painful bite to your neck, one rough enough that you’re entirely sure you’ve been bruised by it.

“I’ll kiss you when you’re good and ready.”

A whimper escapes your throat before you can stop it as his fangs nip at a particularly sensitive part of your neck, and you’re intensely grateful as he moves up from your neck, over your chin and his bites finally cease.

“Now that you’re nice and bruised, I’ll give my sweetheart what he deserves”

His words, as laden with promises as they always are, are punctuated by a short, gentle bite into your lip. Aware of the silent question, you open your mouth for him, and hang your arms over his shoulders as you finally, finally kiss him.

The heat is immense, a heat generated somewhere deep within Asriel warming the kiss more than you expected. He tastes similar to his scent, a rich and earthen taste that you’re already addicted to the moment you sample it.

His tongue is the next thing you notice. Monsters had a range of them, you knew that much, but his felt almost like a tentacle. Thick, prehensile, and covered in a thick, warm saliva, it quickly overpowers your own as his claws dig into your skin, punching through it as well as the fabric on your side.

It’s barely any time at all before the plethora of new, powerful sensations forces you to draw yourself away from him, your lungs starved of air. You struggle to breathe for a few brief, startling seconds before the pain fades, and you stare up at Asriel, your chest heaving with each breath.

“So, how was your first kiss with a monster?”

“Intoxicating. I don’t know why, but I’m addicted.”

He smiles, leaning down and kissing your forehead before resting his against you. You close your eyes, overcome with a sense of relief and blissfulness, before you say a handful of words that so very rarely come from you.

“I love you.”


	12. A new kind of awkwardness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I apologise for the slow update, I was kind of struggling with how to write this one. I hope it feels okay, and isn't too rushed or anything. 
> 
> Any feedback is greatly appreciated, as always, and I hope you enjoy.

“Oh shit.”

Wiping the last remnants of tiredness from your eyes, your heart almost skips a beat at the reflection of yourself in the mirror. If you don’t look further down than your chin, everything was fine. But any lower than that, and you were a mess. Your skin was a patchwork of reds, purples and browns; proof that you had shared far, far more than one kiss with your now official boyfriend last night.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“My skin is ruined. How the hell am I gonna hide all this?”

“You could...not? Maybe?”

Huffing at Asriel’s flippant answer, you gingerly touch at the sensitive skin. Spikes of pain blossom from such an action, so you quickly stop; but it’s clear that there’s enough bruises that it will be a serious undertaking to hide them all.

“I have three classes today. Three! And I look like a damned flower garden, thanks to you.”

You notice Asriel lingering at the doorway to the bathroom you’re currently occupying, an all too smug expression on his face. You remember then, annoyingly, that it is partially your fault that you’re so bruised. Asriel had reminded you last night, when you were on his lap recieving all these marks, that you had classes.

But you were so caught up in the fact that you, a relatively ordinary human, had somehow captured the romantic attention of the prince of all monsterkind, that you just didn’t care. So overwhelmed by the chance that maybe it was just some kind of lucid dream, you had to give yourself enough proof that this was true.

That proof was now all over your neck, collarbone and shoulders. And it was far, far too hot outside to wear a turtleneck, or anything of similar design. 

“I’m gonna get in so much trouble. Or at least, get stared at by literally everyone. I don’t want to deal with that, but I can’t skip class until they fade, because that might be weeks.”

“Well, they’ve been gossiping about us since day one anyway. Surely it can’t hurt to give them more reason to, right? Right?”

“I don’t see how your logic is even close to sound, Azzy.”

“Eh, that’s because it isn’t.”

His willingness to get you in trouble is a little endearing, if also concerning. Deciding that, as you do seem to be doomed to a life of constant teasing and gossiping from literally everyone who so much as looked at you; it really wouldn’t be worth trying to hide it.

After all, the heat was way too high to wear the kind of clothes to hide this many marks, so you’d stick out about as much. The situation wasn’t pleasant, but your hand was forced.

“You better be willing to take responsibility for this, if I end up in trouble.”

“I will, don’t you worry.”

\---------------------

You had expected staring. There’s more marks on you now than when you’ve been in fights, for crying out loud, but you didn’t expect this much staring. You felt like an exhibit, or something. People went quiet when you were nearby, and the gossip was all the more rampant from when they started speaking again.

Shrugging it off, at least for now, you sit down at your desk and prepare yourself for the lesson. If nothing else, it would give you something to focus on. You needed that, after all. You ached, still, from all of the bites and kisses you recieved last night, and you desperately needed a distraction from it.

Leaning back into your chair, you stretch slightly and stare mindlessly up at the ceiling of the classroom. Or was it a lecture room? You never really found out, but that wasn’t important.

What was important, however, was that what happened last night was real; it had actually happened. And that, you now realised, was terrifying. You weren’t sure at all how you were meant to deal with the fact that, for some inexplicable reason, you had a boyfriend now. And then, because of course that couldn’t be enough, said boyfriend was Asriel Dreemurr.

There was no way in hell that anyone would believe this if you told them. It was far too good to be true, and you were still struggling to believe it yourself. You weren’t sure if your attraction to him went further than romantic, but you couldn’t deny that he was...more than a little attractive.

Perhaps it was your preference for monsters, but there was something about him that drew you to him. You weren’t sure what, but it had somehow made you feel intensely attracted to him, moreso than you could remember being attracted to anyone else.

Your thoughts are pre-occupied enough with your thoughts on what could have caused this situation, that you barely notice class having started. You focus as little as is actually required, jotting down enough notes not to end up confused later, but keep your mind as focused on Asriel as you can.

What actually is it about him that makes you so attracted to him? It was a question with more answers than you anticipated, but given that you weren’t focusing much on the lesson, you decided to figure as many reasons out as you could.

Your preference of humans over monsters was definitely part of it. A good part, most likely, but it certainly wasn’t all. If that was all it is, you wouldn’t be so attracted to him, because he’s male. You had never really been attracted to men, at all, human or monstrous. Sure, you knew why people considered men attractive, but you had never considered it yourself.

But, for some reason that you couldn’t fathom, you were very attracted to Asriel. Hell, you’d kissed him at least a dozen times that you could remember, and who knows how many that you couldn’t. There was something about him that you had fallen a little in love with, but you couldn’t put your finger on it.

Perhaps it was how powerful he was. You’d heard rumors of the Dreemurr family, and the might they had, but of course you had never seen it for yourself. You always admired power, it fascinated and terrified you. So, perhaps that was part of it. 

There was a lot of layers to this, it seemed, and more than enough that you were adequately distracted for the rest of the lecture, which passed faster than you expected it to.

\----------------

Your second lecture went very much the same as the first. Very little focus on the actual lecturing, and much more focus on why exactly you were so attracted to your room-mate. Boyfriend. Whatever he really was now. He was definitely your boyfriend, if how often he used the term meant anything, but he also lived with you. And somehow, that hadn’t been awkward.

Your time alongside him, albeit very short since the new changes in your relationship, hadn’t felt any different. You still felt like his friend, as confusing as that was. But there was more to it than that, so much more. You felt very carnally drawn to Asriel, every time you were close to him. Something about the texture of his fur, or the way he smelt when he was close to you, it always caused a spark of...something, perhaps lust, within you.

That would explain why you felt so empty and almost unsatisfied after kissing him last night. There was a part of you, a desperate and curious part, that wanted more. Wanted to see what it was like, to be with another man. A monster, also. What kind of differences it would have to the experiences you had in the past, how he would compare.

You wondered, against your better judgement, what he could do to you. What his magical nature allowed, the kinks he had and the ways he would want you. Who would be in-

You paused, flustered, as you realise that these thoughts, this delightful but very corrupting thoughts, were having a serious impact on you. Your grip on your pen had almost cracked the plastic, your handwriting was messy and near-illegible, and that was nothing compared to the dull, wanting ache in your lower half.

It was a very sobering thought to realise you were lusting over the prince of monsterkind. It was a far more sobering thought that you could very realistically have all of your intensely sinful thoughts given fruit.

You realised, in this very unpleasant but important moment, that you were deeply in love, and lust, with Asriel.


	13. Confessions, and a reward of sorts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. This chapter is one I'm actually pretty nervous about, since I've never tried to write anything of it's nature in this kind of context before. I hope it's okay and doesn't feel too forced or anything.
> 
> Either way, I hope you all enjoy.

“Asriel, we need to talk.”

It’s a little concerning how startled he looked. You must have caught him off guard, although given that he was working on some form of coursework, that wasn’t much of a surprise.

“Alright, sure. Is everything alright?”

You sit down upon Asriel’s bed, your heart feeling heavier than it should. You feel acutely aware of absolutely everything, and that was more of a problem than anything else.

“I just wanted to work things out. I’m not sure what our relationship really is. I mean, we’ve...kissed, I guess. A lot. But that’s...that’s it. We haven’t done anything else. Like, I don’t really know if we’re just friends that happened to have a weird few days, or if we’re more than that.”

The atmosphere feels very, very heavy once you finished speaking. It wasn’t a pleasant thing for you to have said, but it was necessary. You had to get this figured out, if your feelings were ever to settle.

“I thought I made it obvious how I felt for you, by now. Did the bruises and bites not prove it?”

You hate how he sounds hurt. It makes you feel sick to your stomach, how you could hurt him when he had done so much. You knew he was trying, that he actually cared when nobody else really did. That pain only gets worse when he looks at you, and you immediately falter, struggling to hold his gaze.

“I thought that we were partners. Not lovers, not yet, but at least partners. Was that stupid of me to think? I mean, you said that you loved me, but I guess not. Seems like that was stupid of me to believe, right?”

You had almost forgotten that admission. It was rushed, at a time that you were vulnerable and overly emotional. You couldn’t remember if you meant it, but a deep, desperate need within you wanted to mean it. You wanted, intensely, to love him and to be loved by him.

“I’m sorry, then. For thinking we were more than we are. I guess I’ve learnt my lesson now.”

“N-no, Asriel, I...”

You freeze, panicked and desperate to fix a situation you hadn’t meant to ruin.

“I don’t want to just be friends. That’s why I brought it up. I want us to be more than that, but I’m terrified. I’ve never really been in love before. Actually, no, I have been. A few times, but never ever to a guy. Like, do you have any idea how scary it is for your first gay desire to be for a prince?”

Your words are rapid and practically falling from your mouth, but Asriel’s silence and almost expectant look forces you to continue.

“I’m struggling here, Asriel. I don’t want to sound desperate when I talk to you, but I real-I think I love you. And that scares me. It scares me a lot, because why the hell would you love me? Like, I’m a human. A not very attractive, not very intelligent, normal human. And you? You’re a fucking prince, and a monster. There’s so little common ground there.”

You realise now that you’re shaking profusely, entirely unable to hold eye contact with Asriel, who seems so very...unaffected by this.

“C-can you at least say something? I’m pouring my heart out here, and you’re just staring at me like I’m some kind of-”

You’re cut off, suddenly and in a way that causes your heart to skip a beat and cause a stabbing pain in your chest. Asriel is upon you in an instant, and before you realise how close he is, you’re on your back with him atop you, staring down at you with his deep, inhuman eyes. 

You feel much like prey trapped beneath their predator, and Asriel most certainly looked predatory right now, with his fangs bared, and slathering maw. His drool falls down onto you, a heavy and sticky warmth on your skin where it touches. It almost disgusts you how happy it makes you to be beneath him like this.

“Let me make myself perfectly clear. I don’t want any more complications.”

His voice is commanding enough that you can’t stop yourself from nodding, shifting beneath him so you’re lying on the bed proper. It’s all you can do to stop your thoughts from wandering to the darker, lewder ones they very likely would if you weren’t careful.

Your thoughts are dragged from you as Asriel’s claws drag at your scalp, your eyes locked with his as your breath catches harshly in your throat. You feel pretty damn scared of Asriel, but also worryingly attracted to him. You were most definitely going to hell for the kind of thoughts you were no longer able to stop.

“You were being serious, were you not?”

You nod weakly, your heart pounding in your chest.

“Good. Because I love you. And now that I know you’re willing to love me, there’s nothing more to worry about. Isn’t that right?”

You swallow hard, a lump forming in your throat as your eyes flick between his eyes and his fangs. His confession was nowhere as weak or confused as your own, but it was there. Asriel loved you.

He bends down toward you, and you instinctively crane your neck in expectation. It surprises you, then, when he pulls you back, his clawed fingers tangled in your hair as he kisses you.

It’s rougher and more possessive than any of the kisses you had shared before now. His claws scratch at your scalp as he entirely commands the kiss, his tongue quickly forcing it’s way into your mouth. Your eyes flutter closed as you squirm underneath him, feeling an all too familiar ache beneath your clothing.

You struggle for breath as he pulls at your hair, and a rush of panic surges through you as his tongue pushes past yours entirely, worming it’s way into your throat. It’s a feeling quite unlike anything you could claim to have felt before, but your hidden masochistic side thoroughly enjoyed it.

Asriel only pulls away when the world starts going dark, and you gasp for breath as your lungs struggle to refill. Your chest heaves as the room returns to normalcy, with Asriel still atop you. You hadn’t expected this from him, it felt so out of character, but you weren’t even considering complaining.

“I love you. Don’t forget that.”

You nod weakly, barely aware of yourself at this point from how delirious you felt. Perhaps this is what it’s like to really be in love. Or perhaps this is what it feels like to be cripplingly aroused and desperate for more than just a kiss. Or, as was likely, this was both of those at once.

“I love you too, Asriel. I’m sorry for worrying you, and for being such a mess.”

“I don’t care if you’re a mess. You’re my mess now.”

His. You hadn’t really considered that, but it was true. You were his, now. Not as a possession, or anything of the sort, but you were his partner now. His boyfriend. Which also made him yours.

But that part of you, that lingering and lustful part that was still here, was still aching for more than just a kiss, even one as demanding as that. You wanted so much from him right now, and nothing was going to stop that.

“Asriel, can I ask something?”

“Always. What is it?”

You were hoping intently that you wouldn’t be making a mistake with this question.

“How far are you willing to go tonight? Because that kiss was telling me a lot.”

His smile tells even more, and you feel a shiver run down your spine as he leans down to whisper into your ear.

“Seeing as I’m your boyfriend now, princess, I will do anything you want tonight. Whether it’s as vanilla as adding to your bruises, or if you want me to ruin you enough that you can’t get out of bed tomorrow, just say the word.”

You smile weakly, shivering as his hot breath brushes against your neck. Control of the situation had gone to you, but you weren’t sure where to go with it. Part of you wanted to keep things simple, but a greater part wanted to lose yourself to him tonight.

“I have class tomorrow. So how about we go halfway, Azzy? I want...I want to do something tonight. I want to, to celebrate, I suppose. So, please.”

You swallow down a moan as he bites into your ear, placing gentle bites down your neck and up to your chin, before looking into your eyes again. This could well be a mistake. In fact, it was quite likely to be a mistake, but you didn’t care. You wanted him, badly. More badly than you cared to admit.

“Please what, sweetheart? Tell me what you want. Give me details, so I can help you.”

God, this is not what you wanted. You wanted him to take control, to make this simple and pleasurable. You didn’t want control, or questions.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation with a guy before. I’ve never wanted to give control up before. So please, for the love of god, stop making this confusing and just...do something. Please.”

You hate how aroused his laughter makes you. You hate how fascinated you seem to be with his mouth, as well. Perhaps it was the tongue, or the fangs, but it was definitely something that kept your attention there.

Attention he clearly noticed, as he licked his lips and slowly drew his fangs across the sensitive skin of your neck.

“You seem to like my mouth, hm? Why don’t I use it on you, to begin with? I’ve been told I’m quite talented with it, and you’ve felt firsthand just how dextrous my tongue can be.”

You refuse to believe that the blush you can feel is anything other than a bright red against your skin, and Asriel seems more than a little proud of it. Faced with this situation, your heart races all the more in your chest. Sure, you had expected something to come of this, but you hadn’t expected him to go straight for offering to go down on you.

“How about it, then? Would you like to have the prince of all monsterkind go down on you? Don’t worry, I won’t bite. Not unless you ask me to.”

You can’t stop yourself from laughing softly, hoping desperately that Asriel never finds out about your masochism kink. That could not, at all, go well.

“Sure. I-I mean, why not? It’s not like today could get more stupid, so why not?”

Asriel smiles, biting into your neck gently before moving down from over you. He climbs from the bed, allowing you to sit up. You do so quickly, your chest aching and tight from nervousness. Seeing him knelt between your legs as he is now causes a powerful surge of arousal to course through you.

It’s a pretty big moment, you realise, to have arousal caused entirely by another male. Especially one who’s so close to...to having sex with you. You hadn’t had sex in...well, longer than you cared to admit. You weren’t a virgin, but this was a new world of experiences.

“I’m curious to find out how big you are, honestly. Humans can’t control it, so let’s see how much I’ll be struggling on you.”

Your blushing only gets worse, even more so as Asriel pulls at the fly on your pants. Your arousal becomes quickly more visible with one layer of clothing pulled away from it, but you realise that you’re probably not the size Asriel was expecting. Honestly, you were pretty much exactly average.

“Hm. I’m pretty sure I can manage this. Shall I give it a try?”

You nod weakly, gripping the bedsheets aggressively as Asriel pulls your underwear away. You’re already achingly hard, and more than willing to continue. You were practically begging for it at this point, in fact.

“You seem nervous. Could it be that you’ve never recieved oral before?”

“I have. Quite a while ago, and by a human. I have no experience with this at all. I’ve never been with a guy, remember? And never this far with a monster.”

Hearing those things must be sparking that same possessiveness you saw mere minutes ago from Asriel, as he smiles and drags his tongue over the underside of your length. The sensation of his saliva on you burns like ice, causing a breathy groan to escape you as your fingers tangle into the cotton of the bedsheets.

“Then allow me to be the first. And don’t worry, this is only the first of many experiences I’ll be giving you. After all, how could I possibly deny my boyfriend all of the desires he’s too scared to speak, but more than willing to think?”

You freeze, your heart almost stopping as you look down to him, stumbling out an answer to his bizarre and worryingly specific thing to say.

“W-what do you mean, Asriel?”

“Come now, you honestly thought my magic couldn’t move to mind-reading? Granted, it only works when the mind is vulnerable, but I can do it. Which means I can see every filthy thought running through your head. And every single one will be acted out, in time.”

You feel ready to collapse from panic at that. You hadn’t even considered the fact that Asriel could read your mind. Why would you have? But now, knowing that he knew far, far too much about you, you were all the more aroused despite your worry. Your lower half throbbed, your breathing coming slow and a little labored.

“Please, Azzy. If you can stop prying into my head for a few minutes, can we please get on with this? I’m far too aroused for you to be doing magical stuff.”

“Fine, fine. If you need to be a spoilsport, that’s fine. Just relax and enjoy, okay?”

You nod weakly, struggling more than you should just to breathe as Asriel opens his mouth, shifting and moving down. The warmth of Asriel’s mouth envelops you quickly, causing you to bite down into your lip to silence yourself. The metallic taste of blood causes you to stop that almost immediately, but the bizarre sensation of having Asriel’s inner heat warming his mouth around you mutes the pain significantly.

A part of you really, really wants to grab Asriel’s horns, you realise, as you look down to him. You couldn’t remember the last time you had anybody in the position Asriel was now, but this was so very different. The unnatural warmth, the thick saliva that you could feel, all of it was rather overwhelming.

It only gets worse when Asriel moves, bobbing his head as his eyes close, and you’re hoping his focus is moving more to what he’s doing than prying into your head. It’s hard to keep your thoughts clear from how he’s making you feel, if you’re honest.

Focusing intently on how it feels, you allow yourself to pant and claw at the fabric beneath you as a ball of tension forms in your stomach, signalling that you aren’t all that far from orgasm. You hope beyond hope that you’re able to last at least some time so as not to embarrass yourself.

“A-Azzy, please slow down. I haven’t...done this in some time. I need to pace this.”

You hate how hot he looks in this position, looking up toward you with your aching cock, now dripping with precum from your overpowering arousal, deep into his mouth. It almost looks like a scene out of some kind of video from a porn site, and for a very brief moment you entertain the thought of creating such things in the future.

You forget, of course, that Asriel is still acutely aware of the thoughts running through your head, and there is a very sudden, very severe rush of heat through Asriel’s mouth, a blazing and almost...wet warmth. You realise a little too late that the heat is caused by Asriel’s own arousal spiking, as you hear him moaning against you. You get the feeling that, just maybe, those thoughts caused that and that he may have reached his orgasm before your own.

Not that yours was far away at this point, especially with Asriel’s tongue now somehow coiled around you. You hadn’t realised it was quite this agile, or that he had so much control. Deciding that, if you were ever to risk it, now would be the time, you reach up and gently wrap your hands around Asriel’s horns. Nothing immediately happens, which is expected, but guiding him at a pace more suited to you certainly helps you from getting too overwhelmed.

It doesn’t help, as you very quickly find out.

“A-Asriel, I’m g-gonna-”

He cuts you off, looking up and winking at you before pushing himself harder against you, taking you completely into his mouth. A spark of heat forms in his throat, and you feel a caressing, carnal heat burning into your entire body as the ball of tension that’s been welling within you very suddenly and very explosively untangles.

You tighten your grip on his horns, holding him against you as you gasp and squirm, even drooling a little as your orgasm takes all the wind out of your lungs. Your breaths come short and rough as your own heat pools into him, into his mouth. You realise far, far too late that you didn’t try to pull away or allow him any chance to do so.

Your orgasm passes after a few short, aching seconds, and your hands fall limply back to the mattress, exhaustion setting in hard and fast. You barely notice that Asriel fixes your clothes before sitting beside you on his bed again.

“How was it?”

You smile weakly, leaning against him as your breathing slowly falls back into a more regular, healthy pattern. Your lust sated, you realise the gravity of what just happened. If you were lacking proof that Asriel loved and lusted after you as badly you did him, you had certainly gained it in the last ten or so minutes.

“It was great. Weird, because you’re a monster and that means magic. But it was great.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. You taste good too, by the way. A little salty, but not unpleasant. Certainly worth trying again.”

Of course, you should have realised that he would have swallowed, considering he hadn’t spilt any of you on himself.

“I’m really sorry that I...that I did what I did. I should have given you better warning. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“A mistake, hm? You had quite the death-grip on my horns for someone who didn’t want to cum in my mouth.”

“Don’t remind me, I feel guilty enough.”

Your voice is quiet, a little strained as your throat feels suddenly dry. Embarrassment, perhaps, as you move away from Asriel, hoping your mistake hadn’t made things difficult or awkward. You already felt as if things were moving a little too fast, after all.

“Alright, but just know that I’m okay with it. And don’t worry, I don’t think we’re moving too fast. I mean, those thoughts of yours about making porn, that’s moving a little fast. But this? Like you said, it’s a celebration. A prize, of sorts, for earning my love. If you want to look at it that way.”

You’d rather not, honestly. He wasn’t a prize to be won, he was just...your boyfriend. That was still weird, and would be for a while.

“You need to stop reading my thoughts. It’s really weird, and kinda invasive.”

Asriel shrugs, pulling you back against him so your head is rested against his shoulder. His body is as warm as always, a comfortable heat that somehow was always the perfect temperature to compliment your own body heat.

“Either way, princess, I’m glad you enjoyed our little tryst. It was certainly enjoyable for me, too, before you worry. It’s...weirdly pleasant to go down on someone. I’ll be sure to do it again.”

You laugh softly, more from nerves than from finding humor in the situation.

“Y’know, if anyone had told me that within a month of joining college, I’d end up with Asriel Dreemurr as my boyfriend, and have him give me a blowjob, I’d have outright refused to believe them.”

“You do believe that it happened, right?”

You nod weakly, quite close to the brink of a minor panic attack. Your heart was pounding against your chest, the reality of your new situation hitting you like a truck.

“I just...it’s going to take a long time to adjust. I’ve never had a boyfriend. And now, in less than half an hour of having my first one, I’ve already gone further with you than all of my other partners.”

“What about that human girl you said had-”

“We weren’t together. I was drunk and it was stupid. That’s all I remember.”

“Got it.”

Grateful that he wouldn’t push further, you let out a yawn, covering your mouth with your hand as you lean more heavily against Asriel’s shoulder.

“Jeez, I forgot how tired I get after...well, y’know. Would you be alright if I took a nap? I don’t think I have anymore classes today.”

“You don’t. I know your schedule, and you’re free. I’ll get some more studying done while you rest, alright?”

“Mhm. Sounds good. I’ll see you in a...I’ll see you when I wake up.”

Asriel nods, moving away from you and kissing you gently upon the forehead as you liw down, having claimed his bed for now as you can’t be bothered to move back to your own, your exhaustion is too severe for it.

It isn’t long before you feel the heaviness of sleep edging at your consciousness. You welcome it with open arms, grateful to have the quiet to cancel out the overcomplicated mess of thoughts running through your head.

“I love you. Sleep well.”


	14. Smoothing things out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. Sorry for the slow chapter this time, but I hope it's to the quality I've been trying to maintain.
> 
> I haven't got a lot to say, so please just let me know how you feel about how things have been going, and if you have any suggestions at all. I'm always more than willing to listen. Enjoy.

“Are you sure about this?”

You want to nod your head, to claim that you were confident in this. But you just weren’t. Your resolve, already weak, breaks entirely, and your shoulders sag as you shake your head, barely able to hold eye-contact.

“No, not really. I’m kind of scared of people finding out just yet. It’s only been one day, after all.”

It’s unpleassant to admit, but it’s very much the truth. You and Asriel had only been official since yesterday, after the rather unexpected acts that had happened during the afternoon.

The conversation you had after you had awoken wasn’t...comfortable, but it was necessary. It helped the two of you figure some things out, although you were still unsure of all the ground rules. There had been too much to consider.

“Then nobody has to know just yet. Don’t worry so much, it’s not like we need to tell anyone right now. We have all the time in the world.”

You smile weakly, scratching at the back of your neck. It’s almost surprising how easily reassured you are by him, and only him.

“And hey, since it’s Friday today, we only have the one class. Then the rest of the day is to ourselves, so we can do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want huh? As tempting as a lot of things are, aren’t you really far behind in...I can never pronounce her name. The...the monster who looks like you. Her class?”

It’s more than a little shocking to see when Asriel’s expression changes rapidly, most likely due to how incredibly expressive he, and most monsters, could be.

“Right, you...still don’t know that, do you? Toriel is, well...”

It’s a little worrying how he trails off. You had wondered, briefly in the past, if Toriel was related to Asriel. They looked similar, and had somewhat similar names, but that was hardly enough to make such things true.

“She’s my mother.”

Or...perhaps you were right after all.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Yeah. She’s a good teacher, so she doesn’t show it much, but...yeah. She’s my mom. I mean, I’m a little surprised you didn’t know. Monsters that look like me kinda...aren’t a thing, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“No, I know she looks like you. I just...I didn’t wanna assume, I guess? Whatever, that’s not important. Does she know about us? I mean, have you told her or something?”

“No, I haven’t. And because we got lucky and it was cold last week, she didn’t even see those bruises I left all over you. Which reminds me, I must add more.”

Glaring at Asriel for his flirtatious nature when you’re trying to have a serious conversation, you otherwise ignore the offer.

“So she’s still in the dark. That’s something at least, I’d really rather the first person to find out not be your mother. Or mine, but that’s much less likely.”

“Princess, relax. People will find out when we want them to, and no earlier. Why are you so worried anyway, doesn’t everyone already think we’re together?”

“Well, yes. But it’s different now that it’s true. Now I need to deny it rather than...deny...you know what, shut up.”

Still somewhat flustered from how forward Asriel has been, you stumble on your words and fall silent, with cheeks red and a flare of anger in your eyes.

“It’s okay. I’m not judging you for being nervous, or scared about people finding out. I might not feel the same way, but I won’t make you feel bad for it.”

“That’s something, at least.”

“Hey, c’mon. We just have to get through one lesson. After that, we can do whatever we want.”

\--------------------

That one lesson, as it turns out, is an absolute nightmare. You know this already, and it’s barely half-way through. It’s very, very hard to focus with Asriel sat next to you and the monster you now knew as his mother residing over the lesson.

It occured to you that this was the first time you’d prefer your normal teacher over a substitute.

You can’t focus, at all. Between Asriel none-too-subtly rubbing his leg against yours beneath the desk, and the fact that you’re absolutely convinced that, at any second during the next thirty to forty minutes, Toriel will catch on to her son’s behavior and question the pair of you; you have absolutely no space in your thoughts for anything else.

When Toriel calls upon you, you feel about ready to die from the sheer panic that coils around your heart. Your answer to her questions comes rushed and you stutter on your words, making your embarrassment all the worse. You’re more than a little grateful that you got whatever she asked correct, even if you barely heard what she wanted from you.

Your heart pounds against your chest as you lean forward, your head rested on the desk. You do what you can to make it look like you’re just taking notes, but you can’t imagine you look very convincing. In truth, you’re much more focused on keeping yourself in one piece.

Much to your relief, the remainder of the lecture passes mostly without incident. Asriel does his absolute best to torture you throughout, but you manage to resist him, if only just. 

Once you get out of the room, however, Asriel grabs your hand and half-drags you away from the other students, and out of the building before you gather yourself enough to call him out on his actions.

“Azzy, what are you doing? Why are we going ov-”

“Just trust me. That’s all I ask.”

You really do worry about how he avoids answering your questions as often as he does. That’s definitely something you’ll have to talk to him about, when you get the chance.

You end up, much to your confusion, behind the Literary building. The area here is entirely abandoned, leaving it as the place of choice for couples to...well, if you put it politely, enjoy each other’s company.

You tried not to think too hard about the weird colorations of the walls and floor.

“Do I dare ask why you brought me out here?”

“It’s quiet, and gives us privacy. Which is exactly what we need, isnt it?”

“For what? Asriel, why have you brought me here?”

His answer is more physical than vocal, as he pushes you so that your back hits the brickwork behind you, scratching at your back through the fabric of your shirt. Everything very quickly gets darker as Asriel approaches you, casting a shadow over you due to his height.

“What was that for? What’s going on?”

“You know what this area is for, right? They don’t call it ‘Lovers Yard’ for nothing, sweetheart.”

That’s not exactly reassuring, and you can’t help but worry about what kind of thing he has planned for you out here. It was pretty much silent, as nobody else was here, but that didn’t make you more comfortable.

“So, what, we’re here to...”

“Well, nothing too far. It’s only our first day together. But I did promise you some new bruises.”

“In public? You want to...I thought we were keeping this quiet.”

“We are. Nobody is here. And I want to feel you squirm as you try and keep quiet. Alright?”

You hated how he was able to command you around so easily. In the relationships you’d had in the past, few as they were, you were always in charge. This was very confusing for you, you found, to be so submissive.

“Asriel, come on. I get that you’re needy or whatever, but I will not get caught out here. If you’re so adamant to be an overconfident, lustful pain in the ass, let’s at least get back to the dorm. Got it?”

You might have gone too far. Asriel seems very nervous as you finish speaking, and you can’t help but wonder why, but are far more apologetic than curious. You go to apologise, in fact, when he steps away from you, looking rather embarrassed as he looks away from you. You almost want to believe that he’s blushing, but you aren’t even sure if he can do that.

“Alright, I get it. I didn’t realise you had so much fight in you, y’know that?”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?”

“Both? I just...I don’t know, I guess I got a little, as you put it, overconfident. I’m used to being in charge.”

“Well, I don’t know if I’m all that okay with that. I mean, it’s...I don’t want there to be a power dynamic. Can’t we just be...normal? Or equal?”

It’s a little worrying how surprised he looks by that even being a possibility.

“I...don’t see a problem with that. But how would that work? I mean, seeing as you’re so willing to obey me.”

“I don’t obey you. You’re just...tall, and more handsome than me, and really willing to try and make me do as you say. Which is weird, by the way. I’m not your servant, or anything.”

“I know that. I mean, maybe sometimes you could be if you feel like it, but I get your point. I’m sure we can work this out, alright? But as we’re not going to screw around out here, should we get back to our room?”

“Will you stop trying to make my skin into a patchwork if we do?”

“I can’t make promises.”

\-------------------

“Stop, jeez! Stop!”

You stumble back from Asriel, falling onto your bed and glaring at him, your chest heaving a little as you come down from the laughing fit he had forced from you. You couldn’t remember why, or how he had figured out that you were ticklish, but you could barely breathe because of it.

He also looked far, far too pleased at himself for causing you such discomfort, if it could really be called that. It was never particularly pleasurable to be tickled, but it felt very different when the hands doing the tickling were so very inhuman, with thick pads and claws that tugged at the skin on your sides. 

“Feeling better now, princess?”

“Ugh, shut up you asshole. Why can’t you just...ugh!”

Your frustration only feels worse as he pushes you onto your back, climbing atop you and pinning your wrists above your head. You squirm benaeth him, glaring as angrily as you can manage. It’s not likely to be convincing.

“Relax, okay? I know I’ve been messing with you, but you need to relax. Do you want me to give you a massage or something?”

“A massage. You want to give me a massage.”

“Hey, any excuse to grope your naked body sweetheart.” 

“You’re really good at ruining things, aren’t you.”

“Absolutely.”

His smirking is more attractive than it has any right to be. You writhe harder beneath him, trying to pull your hands free to no avail. Which makes sense, if you consider that he has magic inside of him, given his nature and all.

“But in all seriousness, I’m worried. You’ve been acting so nervously all day, and I’m concerned. So what’s going on?”

His grip on your wrists loosens, and he shifts his weight, sitting upon your waist, and you find yourself grateful that he’s avoiding the more sensitive parts of you. You sit up as best you can, resting up against your elbows as you look up to him.

“I’m just kinda scared, I guess? I don’t want anyone to find out about us, so I’ve had to be really careful with how I act. And you seem to be doing the opposite.”

“Is it wrong to be proud of having a partner?”

“No, but you know I’m nervous. I don’t want to get found out, Asriel. If people find out that I’m gay, or...whatever I am, or if they find out that you’re with a human...what will happen? It can’t be good.”

You realise that you’ve been voicing more concerns than pleasant things about your relationship, and it hasn’t even been a full day yet. Was this what was supposed to happen when a complicated relationship began? Was it supposed to feel like such a mess?

“If people find out, and they aren’t okay with it, that isn’t our problem. They can be as petty and bigoted as they want, but I won’t let it get to you. You deserve better than that.”

“You can’t honestly believe that’s how this works.”

You pull yourself free from Asriel, using his distraction to do so, before sitting cross-legged in front of him, more than a little shocked that he could possibly be so naive.

“Is it...not?”

“No. God, are you kidding me? People are assholes, Asriel. Vicious, self-centered worthless scumbags who’ll take every bit of happiness they can from other people just because they feel like it. Monsters aren’t any better, not anymore. I don’t want to be subjected to that, I’m not...I’m not strong enough to cope.”

You find yourself breathless for a far less pleasant reason than normal, struggling to continue as every fibre of your body begs you not to disappoint him further, for fear of what could happen to you if you do so.

“I just don’t want to get hurt. I came to college to try and figure my life out, not to get in trouble for these...these weird, complicated feelings. Does that make sense?”

“Enough that I can understand. I guess I’m more sheltered than I thought. I didn’t want to cause you this much worry, you know that right? I want you to be happy.”

You smile, weakly, and without much feeling behind it. You had hoped that things would be easier. That maybe it’d be all sunshine and roses and nothing would go wrong. But that was more naive than even Asriel was.

“I am happy, Asriel. Kinda. I just get far, far too nervous for my own good. Y’know, it’s just kinda...I want to be more happy than I am. I want to properly experience what it means to have a relationship, because I never really have.”

“And you trust me enough for that?”

You don’t even realise how deeply you mean your answer before it spills from your mouth. A hoarse, desperate agreement that leaves you intensely exhausted for reasons you can’t even begin to comprehend; and you feel so very tired and scared as you hold eye-contact with Asriel, hoping that he’s okay with it, and you.

In a method he seems to use more often than not, Asriel’s reply is physical. So very physical as he pushes himself forward, his claws digging into the back of your neck as he kisses you roughly. There’s so much more passion in it than normal, which you can feel through the burning heat within him, some kind of magical fire you have to assume.

His claws puncture your skin, and you can feel blood dripping down your back as you struggle to keep up with how aggressively he kisses you, all fangs and tongue, and you last barely any time at all before pulling away, panting for air.

“I love you. I mean that, regardless of who you are. I want to try and protect you, but I won’t force you into anything.”

“I love you too, Asriel. It scares me to admit that, but I mean it. As much as I can possibly mean it.”

He rests his forehead against yours, and you close your eyes to relax as best you can. It’s difficult, and your heart hurts, but you feel happy. Deeply, powerfully happy. You stay that way for a short while, before Asriel’s hand moves from your now stinging, sticky neck and over your shoulder toward your chest.

“I’m going to ask you something, okay. I won’t be upset with whatever you want, but answer me honestly.”

That particular statement is more than a little unnerving, but you can’t help but feel a small rush of excitement from it.

“Would you be comfortable with the idea of making love?”


	15. Significant Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I'm sorry for there being such a long wait for this chapter. Between appointments and about ten re-writes of this chapter, it's taken forever. But it's here now. So, I hope you enjoy.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Your reply is breathless, panic pulling viciously at your heart as you suddenly feel very trapped in your position, your back to the wall with Asriel so close to you.

It wasn’t that you hadn’t considered it. You had, in great detail, while Asriel wasn’t around. But thinking about things, because you refused to accept what those thoughts had caused you to do, was very different from it actually happening.

“I won’t force you. I promise you that.”

You hate how he’s still being avoidant. How he dodges your questions constantly, and refuses to talk to you straight unless it’s because he wants something from you.

“Answer me properly, Asriel. Why do you want that? We’ve been together for less than a day. Do you seriously think we aren’t moving too fast?”

It’s more gratifying than it should be when he sighs, at least having the decency to be upset with himself, or at least portraying as much.

“I know we are. I know I’m asking too much of you, and that I’m probably pushing too hard and in unfair ways. But I guess I’m as curious as you are about how far we can go. I’m...I’m sorry, alright?”

You can’t help but feel concerned for him, which in itself worries you, but worse is why you, for some reason you can’t fathom, feel guilty. You know, objectively, that you have no reason to. You were being perfectly reasonable, with concerns that were valid for a number of reasons.

“I’m sorry. Truly, I am. I don’t mean to act so selfishly, I just...I want you so badly. It’s like a craving, and I know that it’s really messed up, but I can’t help it. I just...there’s a part of me, a big part, that sees you like this, nervous and worried about what I’ll say, and it makes me want two things. The first is a desperate need to protect you, despite knowing you can look after yourself. The second...the second is lust. Like, a really deep and almost angry lust, to push you down, hold you there and just...”

He trails off and you’re hit like a brick with overwhelming lightheadedness and disorientation. You were still deeply concerned about him, but now for different reasons. His thoughts sounded unpleasant and even unhealthy.

“I won’t be upset if this isn’t something you can accept. I don’t expect you to accept it either.”

He looks up to you, his eyes bloodshot from tears you hadn’t realised had fallen. You had seriously underestimated how badly his admission would affect him, but realised that, deep down, because quite frankly you were stupid and more willing than you should be to put yourself in stupid situations if they involved attractive people; that you wanted him too.

You shouldn’t. You knew that it was a really bad idea, and that you should relax and focus on the situation to make a more sensible decision. But you were also awful at sensible decisions.

“Asriel. Listen, I won’t lie to you and say I’m not a little terrified by the things you said. The reason why, well that’s for another time. I don’t really get it, either. I can’t understand your head, because it isn’t mine. But I’m not upset, or anything. I’m not gonna drop the relationship because of it either. I might not know much about healthy relationships, but I know that we’ll need to figure things out. We can do that, right?”

He smiles, weakly, and he looks incredibly nervous, but there’s a fire in his eyes that shows he wants this as much as you do. It’s stupid to think that this was a situation you were in, convincing one of the most powerful people on or under Earth that it was okay to have emotions.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Azzy. And I’m not saying no to the whole...sex thing. We just need to wait until we’re more comfortable together. Small things are fine, but something like that needs to wait.”

His smile gains strength, and he embraces you tightly, a gesture you quickly return. It was hard for you to admit it at first, but now you felt surprisingly comfortable with how easily you could admit your love for Asriel. Because that was what it was, after all, despite how alien it still felt to love him.

“I understand. We’ll get that far, in time, I trust that. And I’ll wait as long as I need to.”

His grip on you tightens, causing a brief but sharp spike of pain in your neck, where his clawmarks still stung. If he was this aggressive while doing something as simple as kissing you, you couldn’t help but wonder how that translated to more erotic things. Sure, he’d be as gentle as could be last time, but what about in the future?

“What’s on your mind? You’re looking awfully contemplative.”

You startle, blushing a little. You really needed to work on letting thoughts like that become so intrusive.

“You bite and claw a lot. I’m a little worried that, when we do eventually have sex, I’ll end up sick from blood loss. Or worse, end up in hospital for the most embarrassing reason possible.”

“I’ll be careful, don’t worry. Unless you’d rather I wasn’t, of course. For all I know, you might have a hidden masochistic side or something, and get little spikes of...holy shit, I’m right, aren’t I? There’s no other reason you’d be blushing this hard.”

You lock up, frozen in place and feeling utterly betrayed by the warmth burning beneath your skin. As if the intrusive thoughts weren’t bad enough, now you were unable to control even things like your blushes? This was ridiculous.

“Oh, princess, I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me you like my claws, and my fangs so much? I’ll be sure to use them so much more often on you now that I know you’re such a pervert...”

He crawls toward you, his clawed hand running up your side and digging into your collarbone, the pain making the world erupt with spots for a brief moment. It was all you could do to swallow down any unwanted sounds and think about anything you could to stop yourself getting aroused at the thought of having him do such things.

“Tell me, and be honest now, just how deep does it go? How badly would you want me to make you hurt?”

You really, really didn’t want to answer, but there was something hypnotic in his voice, likely some sort of woven magic to influence you to do his bidding, which in itself made you incredibly worried how he might use that if he had some kind of praise or superiority kink.

“It’s a pretty big deal. It’s, uh, kinda one of my biggest kinks, I guess? Something about the pain, the rush of feeling it, it...it, yeah. I don’t want to explain it, okay? It’s just a thing I like. C-can we talk about something else?”

“Hm? Oh no, not at all. I want to know your deepest, dirtiest secrets, sweetheart. The places you’re most sensitive, how badly you get affected by each amount of pain...all of it. I want you to bare it all.”

You can’t help but shiver at Asriel’s words, aware that you could stop yourself from letting him get control of you if you wanted, but also...not really wanting to. You couldn’t help but wonder, or perhaps even hope, about the possibilities Asriel’s magic could cause.

“Oh, I can do plenty. My magic can be used in more ways than you could possibly imagine. Although I get the feeling you’d be more interested in these, hm?”

You’d entirely forgotten that he could read your mind when you were aroused, which you were despite your best efforts. It only gets worse as he smiles, deliberately baring his fangs. The very same fangs that you’ve had embedded in more places than you expected, but far less than you wanted.

You tried not to think about when or how you so utterly and completely lost control of your thoughts, or the situation. You also, with much less success, try not to think about how he had moved to sit atop your waist again, his grip tight on both of your shoulders.

“You know you can voice these desires, right? You don’t have to keep it all bottled up. Just tell me how you feel, deep down. Tell me how badly you want me, princess.”

“Don’t call me your princess. I’m not...ow, I’m not your damned princess.”

A small act of defiance, but one that feels good. So much for the whole ‘equals and power balance’ thing.

“Hm, perhaps not. But you are horny, and trying so hard to hide it that it’s endearing, but also a great shame. Why not just admit that you want me, hm? Surely it’s not that hard.”

His claws dug into your shoulders, breaking holes into the fabric as he leans closer, his voice quiet in your ear. He was the worst kind of asshole, you noticed. But he was yours, and that made all the torturous things like this worth it.

“I don’t want anything, Asriel. You’re just preying on my sensitivity, nothing more. Now stop acting so horny and get off.”

“Which is it, sweetheart? You can’t have it both ways, so do you want me to get off, or behave?”

You scowl at him, likely to no effect as you reach up and detach his claws from your skin, holding his hands between the two of you.

“Behave. I’m aroused, yes, but only because you’re a goddamned horndog who won’t stop trying to make that the case. Now, please, for the love of all that’s holy, get off of my lap.”

“Fine, fine. When did you turn into such a spoilsport?”

Your scowl deepens as he finally relents, moving off of you and climbing off the bed entirely, stretching slightly as if he’d somehow gotten over-tensed from being such a jerk.

“I’m not a spoilsport. I told you we needed to wait, and you immediately pressure again. Stuff like that isn’t okay, alright?”

At least he has the decency to look upset with himself. It troubles you that you can’t tell how genuine it is, but it’s something, and at this point you’ll take anything you can get; a mindset that only deepens how concerned you are about this situation.

“I’m still trying to figure these kinds of things out, alright? It’s not exactly easy, and you make it really hard sometimes. It’s like I told you before, I just...I crave you. And you keep denying me. I mean, of course you do because you’re allowed to, but it’s still rough.”

You sigh heavily, dropping onto your back and closing your eyes, struggling to focus on the situation and not the still-burning arousal that you can’t seem to get rid of despite how stressed out you are.

“So, what, I’m supposed to feel guilty? I’m allowed to be nervous and want to wait, so why is it so hard for you to accept that?”

“Of course that...I’m sorry, okay? I’m learning this at the exact same time you are. Hell, probably slower since you’ve actually had partners in the past.”

Your eyes snap open, and you look over to Asriel, who had, somehow entirely without noise, sat upon his own bed with his legs crossed in front of him.

“You...you’re not serious, right? There’s no way you’d pick me of all people to be your first partner. Boyfriend, whatever. I mean, really? Me?”

“You don’t have to sound quite so surprised, y’know. Is it really that unreasonable for me to have been single up until you? Like, you do realise that this is the first time I’ve even had the possibility of a partner.”

You hadn’t thought of it like that. Given that he was royalty, it did make a certain amount of sense that he would have been single. Not necessarily a forced situation, but regardless.

“So, if it wasn’t already weird enough that you picked me for a boyfriend, now I have to deal with being the first. I really hope you aren’t expecting me to be a good start, because I have as little experience with boyfriends as you do. You’re my first as well, remember.”

“Then there’s no reason to be so nervous, right? Neither of us really know how to do these sorts of things, so why does it matter if we make mistakes. We just need to figure things out, right?”

You had to agree, begrudingly or otherwise. It was so easy to get these things confused or get them entirely wrong; without even considering the extra complications the pair of you had in your relationship.

“I’ll need to work on being so forward. Or at least acting on it, as you don’t seem to mind the talk. But I want you to know that, even if it doesn’t seem like it, I’m just as scared as you are.”

“Really.”

“Yeah, really. The flirting and stuff is mostly an act. Not the...that wasn’t what I meant. I just get freaked out a lot. Like, there’s so little common ground between us physically that even kissing you makes me panic.”

You can’t help but find that kind of endearing. Perhaps you’d been so focused on how he was acting that you hadn’t considered what was going on behind the words. It was easy to forget, considering how he acts, that Asriel is so much more inexperienced than you.

“It certainly doeesn’t seem that way, but I see your reasoning. I’ll have to be more careful with how I act then, hm? Seeing as I’ve been accidently unfair towards you.”

“Like you said, we’re still figuring this out. It’s okay, and I’m not mad or anything. Well, I’m kinda annoyed that you don’t want to do anything, but-”

“We can, y’know. I find it helps resolve conflicts. And relieve stress, too.”

You’re more than aware that your words imply more than you’re willing to offer. But your curiosity to how Asriel would react trumps any desire to make your meaning more clear.

“What are you comfortable with, exactly? How far is too far?”

He learns quick, it seems. At this rate, you can’t help but hope that things will be more comfortable within a matter of weeks, if not days.

“I’m still tender from before, so biting is kinda out of the question. I’m also not too sure how fast we should move with anything more, so...honestly, I’m a little unsure.”

He’s upon you in a moment, his expression overtaken with concern as his fingers lightly graze over your shirt, where your skin is damaged.

“You’re still sore? Why didn’t you tell me, I could have fixed it by now. Come here, let me help.”

Before you have the chance to respond, you’re on your back and Asriel is atop you, pulling your shirt up as his hands graze against your skin, his claws feathering over your sensitive skin before he pushes his hands, somewhat roughly, against your chest.

The words you want to bring forth to complain are dragged from your throat as your chest muscles tense, an agonising heat burning through them as your back arches from the sheer shock of it.

The pain lasts mere moments, but your lungs feel wrung and dried out as your muscles forcibly relax. You find yourself gasping for air as you fall back, the world spinning around you.

“There. You should feel better soon, once the healing settles in. Are...you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I? I know I can be...less than gentle sometimes.”

You grunt quietly, the world blurry before your sight settles shortly after. Magic, it turns out, isn’t too fun to deal with if it’s pushed in your body without permission. The rush was intense, and a little intoxicating, but the pain made it far less worthwhile.

“Don’t surprise me like that again. That hurt, y’know. I won’t even begin to ask how you do these kinds of things, let alone why it burns so badly. Is that some kind of fire magic or something?”

“Yeah, it was. A lot of my magic is fire-based, it runs in the family. See?”

He holds his palm out and a small, coiling fire ignites in the air above it. The fire burns a violent crimson, as dark as blood; but it generates no heat, a stark contrast to how it felt inside you.

“We all have magic that’s tied to fire. Me, Mom, Dad, even Frisk. Although theirs isn’t as strong, because they’re learning a skill they weren’t born with.”

That piqued your curiosity, so you sat up and squirmed out from underneath him, the pain in your shoulders and neck already starting to fade.

“Frisk has magic? I thought humans couldn’t harness it anymore. Didn’t that die out as a skill for us a long time ago?”

“Yeah, it did. But some of you can still do it. It’s just harder for you to summon because you aren’t made of the stuff. But, given time and enough exposure to it, it’s definitely possible.”

You were honestly shocked to hear that. You had no idea humans could even comprehend magic correctly, let alone harness it. You had no plans on even attempting to do anything like that, but it was definitely valid information; hell perhaps it could even help you flesh out some coursework with what you hoped was some rather uncommon knowledge.

“Why do you ask, anyway. Do you want me to teach you or something?”

“What? No, not really. Like you said, it takes time and a lot of exposure. We’re in college, so we don’t have time for things like that. You barely do your coursework, so you definitely don’t need more distractions.”

You don’t quite understand why he looks so disappointed. It didn’t seem like a big deal, but it might well have been some kind of cultural thing you didn’t know about. Honestly, you’d never really been all that interested in magical studies. They were definitely fascinating, but also far too overwhelming to really consider studying it at all. You struggled enough as it was.

“That’s a shame. I was kind of hoping it’d be a good way for us to, y’know, bond or something. But I won’t force you, so you don’t need to worry about that. Maybe it’s something we can do when there isn’t as much college stuff to deal with.”

“Maybe. But we’re getting off-topic. What did you...do to me? Why did the pain stop being so serious, was it some kind of...healing stuff? Like, if your magic is fire based, how did it heal. I don’t get it.”

“Well...magic is complicated. It’s more to do with the SOUL of the monster, or occasionally person, that it comes from. Sure, the element is important, but not as much. So things like healing magic come easier to some than others. I’m quite adept at it, given what my SOUL is.”

You had heard of the SOUL, some kind of manifestation of a being that took the shape of a valentines heart. You’d never seen yours, nor that of anyone else. It sounded absolutely terrifying to consider the fact that everything about you could be in a single thing, something so fragile.

“You look nervous. Is there something wrong?”

“No, no. Just overthinking things. I get a little freaked out about thinking of my SOUL. Just, having something so small containing everything about me? It’s freaky.”

Asriel only smiles, leaning forward and pushing some hair away from your forehead, something you hadn’t even realised had fallen.

“I understand. It’s not as worrying for my people, I guess. But I can see why it scares you. Oh, but hey! Why don’t I show you mine? That way you can see it, so maybe it won’t be as worrying for you.”

“Would that be okay? I mean, isn’t it kind of a big deal to do something like this? Or is this another cultural thing I don’t get. I feel like it’s the latter.”

“Relax, princess. If you don’t want to, I won’t bring it out.”

It’s fascination, you realise, that drives you to disagree. You don’t notice it until you’ve already confirmed that you, despite your own common sense apparently, would like to see it. It’s a dark, morbid fascination, but a crippling one.

Your eyes as locked on him as his hand presses tightly against his chest, the fur parting around his fingers as he...for some reasons, scratches himself before pulling his hand away sharply, a small and very deep purple heart pulsating against his palm.

It glows, you notice, but only slightly. A pale lilac glow against his fur as he uncurls his fingers, the heart, his very SOUL, floating over his hand.

“Doesn’t it hurt to take it out? It’s not inside anymore.”

“No, not really. It causes about two seconds of dizziness, but other than that it’s fine. Do you...want to touch it, or something? Or you can ask questions, I’m fine to answer stuff.”

You’re overcome with numerous questions and nowhere near enough headspace for it. Wondering how it works, how it can be outside of him without harming him, so many things that you just couldn’t understand. But there was one question that pushed over the rest.

“Is it not dangerous to touch? I mean, if a SOUL is...literally you. If I touch...what’s literally you, won’t it hurt or something? Like, I don’t see how it couldn’t. I’m worried I’ll hurt you.”

“You won’t. Trust me, touching someone’s SOUL is...pretty much the least painful thing you can possibly do. Honestly, it can sometimes be pretty arousing. That’s why some monsters, myself included, will sometimes use it as an...aid for enjoying themselves.”

The blush hits you before the surprise does. The very thought of such a precious, fragile thing being used as a sexual aid was deprived to say the least, but also kind of worrying. If something would go wrong while that happens, how could that possibly be fixed?

“So, I’ll ask again sweetheart. Do you want to touch it? I’m fine with it, providing you’re gentle. You must, absolutely, be gentle. Understand?”

You nod your head, leaning forward with a shaking outstretched hand. You get close, barely an inch away from it before retracting your hand, panic overtaking curiosity.

“I can’t. I’d like to, but I’m too scared. I can’t do it in case I hurt you or something. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologise. I understand why it might be intimidating for you, so it’s alright. Do you have any questions, at least?”

You smile, weakly and with little emotion behind it, but your nodding shows your intentions. You can at least give him that.

“What does the purple mean? I remember the color is relevant, but I’ve never heard of purple.”

It’s concerning that he blushes. You have no idea whatsoever what kind of thing would cause that kind of reaction.

“It means control.”

Oh shit.

“C-control?”

“Yeah, control. I very, very rarely use the kind of magic that allows me. But it helps for things like healing, because I can control what and where the fire affects. Does that make sense?”

It does, but you can’t stop yourself from feeling intensely nervous. You trusted that he was honest about it, but having his manifestation mean control was incredibly worrying. It immediately made you worry what kind of damage that could potentially do your relationship in the future.

“You see why that can be scary, right? Having my, uh, my boyfriend be literally made of control? Or, whatever the equivalent is. You get it. It’s worrying, especially when I don’t know how that might react with whatever SOUL I have in me.”

His smile falters, before he places his hand against his chest again, the heart assumedly going back within him.

“I understand. I’m sorry for worrying you, and I won’t bring it up again. Should we change the subject or something, would that help?”

“No, not really. I appreciate the concern, but my heart is racing a little and I need a while to calm down.”

“Got it.”

He smiles softly, and you move closer to him, sitting between his legs as he gently drapes his arms over your shoulders, holding you against him. This was a position you had found more than helpful even before the two of you had become partners, as it gave you a strong anchor to focus your thoughts on.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually you settle from the panic and feel more comfortable in yourself.

“Feeling better yet?”

“Much. But I’m curious about something. I want...to know what my SOUL is. What I represent, what represents me. I know it’s stupid, because there’s no way that one thing could possibly be all there is to me, but I can’t stop the curiosity.”

“Do you want me to pull it out of you? It won’t hurt, don’t forget. It’s dizziness, nothing more, and perhaps a little bit of panic. Everyone panics the first time.”

You swallow hard, worried that perhaps it might be something of concern, but you trusted Asriel. You trusted him greatly.

“Okay. I think I can handle it. But please be careful, I’m still nervous.”

“I understand.”

His hand places against your chest, pulling slightly at the fabric of your shirt, before the world suddenly becomes incredibly blurry. As he said, it passes very quickly but leaves you a little disoriented.

When your eyes refocus, you can’t hold back a quiet gasp as your SOUL hovers in front of you, atop Asriel’s hand in much the same place as his own was so recently.

“It’s...”

“Crimson. That’s not a common color at all, actually. Red is a little more common, but still rare. Crimson...it’s really rare.”

“Isn’t crimson just another word for red? I’m pretty sure it’s just red. A little darker, but still. It’s red.”

“No, it’s not. Look again, it’s different. The luster is different, and the color is richer. It’s similar to the color of your blood, than anything else.”

“Riiight. Well, whatever. What does it mean? What’s crimson mean?”

“Are you sure you want to know? You won’t get embarrassed?”

“Why would I get embarrassed?”

You couldn’t help but worry about the fact you nearly constantly had a bad feeling about anything he brought up.

“It means passion. Passion, or lust, or desire. Often a little bit of all of them.”

“Huh. Jeez, I was hoping it would at least be a little more...I don’t know, even slightly like what I am as a person? That doesn’t even come close to describing me.”

“You don’t think it does? It sounds pretty spot on to me, honestly. Sure, you aren’t very open about your passions and desires, but the little bit of it that I get to see? You’re very passionate. Just quietly.”

You smile weakly, leaning a little more against Asriel’s stomach as you reach out to his outstretched hand. The nervousness of hurting Asriel now being entirely irrelevant as you have almost a worrying lack of self-preservation, you reach out to your SOUL and gently touch it, just grazing your fingers over the surface.

The texture is entirely unlike what you expected. You expected it to be entirely solid, perhaps like a hard candy or something. You hadn’t expected it to have some give to it, or for it to feel as if it contains some kind of fluid.

Curious for more, you wrap your fingers around it. The sensation of this, unlike when you had barely touched it, is entirely overwhelming. Your whole body is wracked with shivers and your fingers instincitvely release the object. Doing so doesn’t help, as the world darkens for a brief moment. Your breaths come short and ragged, and you curl up slightly.

“Did you hurt yourself? A-are you okay, what happened?”

“Shock. Just shock, I’ll be okay. I had...I had no idea it would be so overwhelming. I can’t breathe too well.”

The hand that held your SOUL pushes quickly against your chest, causing a rush of clarity to course through your head. You grunt quietly from the pain of it, leaning limply against Asriel. It wasn’t quite how you had expected that to go, but it could have been worse.

“That was stupid. I should have been more careful.”

“You couldn’t have known. Like you said, you’ve never seen a SOUL before, let alone touched one. But you’ve learnt just how careful you need to be, so it’ll be fine next time.”

“Next time?”

“Obviously. Now that you know you can pull it out, do you really think we’ll never do this again? Hell, I can get you off without even touching you now.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

Everything starts slowly refocusing, and your muscles strengthen enough for you to sit up more confidently, even if you still feel very weak.

“I don’t even want to think about how lust and control work together. I’m pretty sure I know already, and that worries me enough.”

“Aww, you worry too much. And besides, why worry when we haven’t even had sex yet?”

You shrug weakly, shifting your weight a little to get more comfortable in Asriel’s grip. Every muscle in your body feels unusually heavy, as if you had only just awoken.

“I’m good at worrying. And you can’t say it’s not reasonable to be worried about the kind of connections it could have, between our SOULs. Like, yours is control, right? And I’m apparently passion.”

“I don’t see the problem, honestly. It’s not like I’m even that controlling when it comes to sexual things anyhow. And even if I was, it doesn’t matter because your desires are every bit as important as mine.”

“That’s good to know. But what about your magic? Shouldn’t I be worried about what you might be capable of doing to me? Masochism aside, you’re an incredibly powerful being and it’s a little unnerving.”

His arms wrap tighter around you, holding you flush against his warm fur. It’s odd, you realise, that he doesn’t seem to breathe, and you can’t hear a heartbeat. You knew enough about monsters not to question it, but it felt somewhat alien regardless.

“I won’t hurt you without your explicit permission. Nor will I do anything overly dominant. I want you to feel as comfortable as you can.”

“I do feel comfortable, Azzy. I’m just a little worried because of what lies in our future. Like, we’re close enough as friends that I’m not worried about that. Just...I don’t want to screw anything up because I’m nervous. Like, you’re really...really hot and I want a lot more than I’m really sure I can cope with.”

“Is that so? Well, what kind of things is your head telling you it wants?”

“You promise you won’t judge?”

“I promise.”

“I just...I really want you. Like, physically. That time that we were supposed to go on the date and I screwed it up? The kiss that we shared felt great. The ones we had back here felt even better. But it still doesn’t feel like enough. Hell, even...uh, when you...you know what I’m on about. I just, it’s not enough. The thoughts I have about you keep getting dirtier and I can’t control them.”

You hate embarrassment more than you first thought. The burning beneath your skin feels nauseating, and only gets worse as his grip tightens around you. His claws pull a little at your skin, not enough to hurt but just enough to help anchor you in the real world rather than escaping into your thoughts.

“And you’re scared, is that right? I mean, I’m not in your head so I can’t tell. But it sounds like you’re scared of feeling attracted to me. Is it that difficult for you to understand that it’s okay? Sweetheart, I love you, and I want you to be able to love me back.”

“I do. I swear that I do. But lusting after you is different. It feels wrong, even though I know it shouldn’t. Maybe it’s because we’re so different? I mean, I’m a human and you aren’t. There’s no issue with that, obviously, but it makes me feel bizarre.”

“I see. I don’t really know how to reply, if I’m honest. It’s a little hurtful to hear that you see our relationship as unsavory, but I guess I can’t change how you see it.”

That wasn’t what you had said, but it was, worryingly, how you felt. You were comfortable with Asriel. Very much so, even. But lusting after him made you feel...wrong, and even ashamed at times.

“I’m sorry, Asriel. I want to feel okay with the way I think. I want to feel like it’s okay, but I can’t for some reason. I feel so messed up when I think of you in the ways that I do. Like, the other night. You were sleeping or showering, I don’t remember which. And I...I got off. Like, I masturbated while thinking about you. I’ve never, ever done that while thinking of another guy before.”

“And you feel ashamed. You’re so commited to being straight that you can’t accept that you aren’t.”

“No, that isn’t it. I know I’m not straight. I’m still struggling to come to terms with it, but I can’t be straight and be so attracted to you. I’m just not used to it. My head hasn’t caught up to where my heart is at, and it’s making such a mess of my emotions.”

You hoped it was that simple, at least. This already felt too problematic without any more complications.

“Perhaps the issue, princess, is that you’re thinking too much. You overthink, and panic, and it leads you to despairing over things that you don’t need to concern yourself with. You are, clearly, very much in love with me. I’m not being smug, that’s just what you’re saying.”

“I am. I love you, Azzy. I just don’t know how to accept the more lewd parts of that love.”

“Then let me help.”

Before you get a chance to question him, his grip on your midriff tightens, and he leans forward with you beneath him. You fall from his grip, lying flat on your stomach and rolling over onto your back, terribly confused.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m tired of hearing you complain. I understand that you’re struggling but you’re thinking in such convoluted circles that you’re only ending up hurting yourself. So, relax, and let’s work out what’s going on in that head of yours.”

It feels like he’s dodging the question, but his fangs digging into your neck force your focus away from his words onto his actions instead.

“And h-how do you plan on doing that?”

“By doing you.”

“W-wait, what? Me?”

“No, the other boyfriend I have underneath me right now. Of course you, you idiot.”

You squirm underneath him, your skin burning with a combination of fear and a worrying amount of excitement. Feeling more vulnerable than you’re entirely comfortable with, you search his expression for anything at all that might help you figure out just how serious about this he is.

His answer, in a fashion you really should learn to expect from him at this point, doesn’t use words. He leans down closer to you, his breath almost burning hot against your skin as he bites at your neck, his fangs digging roughly into your still-sensitive skin. It feels as if they scratch against the flesh as he bites down harder, causing an embarrassingly lewd gasp to escape you, your back arching a little from the shock of the pain that courses through your neck.

He doesn’t relent, and you doubt he even considers it, as his fangs retract from you before he bites again and again, travelling far, far too slowly up your neck until, after an agonisingly long time, he makes eye contact with you, and you find yourself all too aroused by the fact his fangs are a little coated in your blood.

“Still feeling scared?”

“Terrified. But in a good way.”

As panicked as you were, and how painful your heart pounding against your ribs was, you found yourself surprisingly accepting of the situation you found yourself in. Perhaps Asriel was right, and you just needed to allow things to happen rather than worrying about the consequences.

“Then shall I continue?”

“Please.”

Your reply is breathier than you really wanted, arousal really starting to take it’s toll on you as you reach up, wrapping your arms around Asriel’s shoulders as he pushes himself up against you, and you willingly part your legs for him. He crawls closer to you, and you can hear fabric tearing beside you. You try not to think about it too much, especially when your thoughts are dragged from you as Asriel grinds up against you.

“Have you always been such a tease, Azzy?”

You can feel him smiling against your neck, his breath searing hot against your skin, hot enough that you almost worry it’ll blister your skin. If you cared enough to think about it, it would likely concern you how ridiculously submissive you got around him.

“Only for you, princess. Nobody else gets this treatment.”

You laugh hoarsely, exhaling sharply as you feel Asriel’s weight against you, his hips bucking against yours. It felt incredibly alien to feel another male this close to you, your experience with these things being literally zero before now.

“You feel so hard. Have I really gotten you so turned on already?”

He talked far too much, you realised. The impatient part of you just wanted to push this forward, to get some form of release from this. The burn within your lower half was much worse than the heat on your neck, and much more frustrating.

“I guess you’re extra excited because this is our first time, hm? That’s almost cute.”

“Ugh, shut up, will you?”

His laughter is infectious, but very annoying as he continues teasing you, nipping at your neck as he bucks up against you rhythmically, almost forcing you to match him as he does.

Your clothes feel like a prison, holding you back from what you, despite your better judgement, desperately crave. This must be what Asriel feels, you realise, these desperate and lustful cravings.

It makes you far happier than you expected to hear him moan. You must have surprised him by acting so suddenly, and the gratification of hearing him try to hold himself back is a headrush unlike whatever you could have expected.

“Not so tough now, are you Azzy? Lost your spark?”

You really shouldn’t enjoy teasing him so much, because there’s no way you won’t eventually get punished for it. But right now, you don’t even come close to caring. You had to get whatever you could over him.

“Weren’t expecting me to fight back, hm?”

“M-maybe not. I like you better when you resist, I think. There’s more fun in it when you fight me.”

You smile, tightening your grip on him as the pair of you grind up against each other, the fabric of your clothing dragging against his, the few layers of fabric between your arousal and his feeling like a concrete wall between you and the pleasure you sought.

“I’ll k-keep that in mind. Can we hurry up and move on? I can’t bear the clothing, can we please get rid of it?”

“How very forward of you.”

Despite his sarcasm, Asriel moves back, straddling your waist. Only now do you get a real view of how endowed he is, and you can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Even contained by clothing, he certainly seemed to be larger than you.

“Like the view, sweetheart?”

You can’t help but nod, swallowing hard to stop yourself from drooling. His weight on you is the only thing stopping you from grinding, or at least shifting to get some form of stimulation.

“Good to hear. Now, let’s see just how much I can torture you, shall we?”

“Wait, what?”

A smile is the only reply you get, before he shifts back, placing his entire weight against your crotch. Your now achingly hard cock is forced against his thigh, and you can feel the fabric of your underwear starting to stick to you. He feels much heavier than you’d expect of someone his size.

“U-ugh, come on! S-stop screwing with me and get on with it. Please.”

Your words are rushed and stuttered, desperation practically dripping from your words as you squirm underneath him, almost unable to hold yourself back from taking forceful control and making him obey your desires rather than controlling them.

“What’s the matter? You’re clearly enjoying yourself so what’s the issue here?”

It’s almost painful how stupid he can be. For an all-powerful monster, he’s apparently a total idiot. And as such, it’s almost too satisfying to grab his wrists, pullng him down on top of you before rolling over, pinning him down beneath you. His surprise is palpable, and you almost worry that you’ve gone too far.

“I don’t like being teased, Asriel. If I have to dominate you to get this done, I will. Don’t think I won’t.”

It’s delicious how confused he looks, and how you can feel his arousal as he twitches and writhes underneath you. Your grip on his wrists tightens as you push your knee up against his thigh, pushing his legs open so you can top him properly, if indeed that is how far you end up going.

“Aww, what’s the matter my prince? Ashamed that a mere human has been able to take control of you? Or perhaps that you’re enjoying it, judging by how twitchy you are. Has my little goat prince found that he likes being a sub?”

You can’t stop yourself from smiling as he tries harder to get free, seemingly having lost all of his strength. You are a little concerned how easily you’ve fallen into this role, however.

“How cute. Now, let’s see what you’ve been hiding in here, shall we?”

You let him go, only a little surprised that he doesn’t move, before mirroring his position on top of you. Feeling his arousal beneath you makes your own worse, your underwear feeling sticky and clinging to you as you reach down to Asriel’s waist, unzipping his pants and pulling them free of his tented underwear.

The fabric of his boxer shorts seems very strained against him. So, forcing down your nerves to keep up the act of having even the slightest idea that you know what you’re doing, you peel back the black cotton to free him.

“I expected it to look more...human-like.”

An honest, but hushed statement; and one that snaps Asriel out of the stupor you’d put him in. You watch as he pushes himself up onto his elbows, your eyes meeting his. Your smile faltered slightly, his gaze breaking through the facade of your confidence. There was just something about those dark, inhuman eyes that made you feel weak.

“Is it a problem that it isn’t?”

“No. Or at least, I don’t think so.”

The bravado that you had tried to uphold shattered as you spoke, your nervousness audible. You hold eye-contact as best you can, your hands shaking against his furred thighs. There wasn’t much point in acting more confident than you were, it seemed.

You do find some comfort that he appears every bit as nervous as you, his own hands shaking as he pushes himself up, forcing you to shift so you’re straddling him proper, the searing heat of his arousal pushed hard against your own, still trapped behind clothing.

“You don’t have to act tough, y’know. You’re allowed to be scared. I sure as hell am.”

You can’t stop yourself from laughing softly, the pain in your chest relieving slightly as you rest your forehead against his. You knew you were allowed to be nervous, but had tried to force it down before now.

“I guess I wanted to impress you. Y’know, be the smooth-talking dominant one for once.”

“You don’t have to impress me. All that I ask for is that you want this, that’s all. Everything else is for us to work out together.”

You smile weakly, the humidity in the room and Asriel’s magical heat causing your body temperature to skyrocket and leaving you feeling a little faint.

“I do want this. I know, earlier, I said I wanted to wait. But like you said, I’m supposed to have a SOUL that’s all about lust and desire and all that. And right now, I’m horny as all hell and I want you really, really bad.”

“Then I’m more than happy to provide, princess.”

His arms snake around you, his clawed hands pushing up the back of your shirt and digging harshly at your skin. You crane your neck for him purely on instinct, a soft and breathy moan escaping you as his fangs bury themselves in the tender flesh of the most sensitive spot on your neck.

Unable to let his actions go without payment, you shift your weight on him, reaching down and fumbling with your clothes before feeling the blessed relief of your pants and underwear falling free. You can’t help but realise that your dorm room now absolutely reeks of hormones and arousal, and you have to assume that, shortly enough, that will be layered with the smell of sex.

Asriel must have caught on to what you had planned, because he bucks his hips up against you, and you’re more than a little surprised at how much he seems to be able to produce. His arousal pools from him, matting his fur and practically sticking the pair of you together.

“How far are we going, Asriel?”

“How far are you comfortable with?”

You weren’t sure. Your thoughts weren’t going much further than the desperate need for release, and how it absolutely had to come from Asriel. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt so cripplingly aroused, but you were sure that part of it was how you had gone so long without anyone else to pleasure you.

“I don’t know. I can’t really think too much. All my head is doing is begging me to get off. I haven’t been this close to someone in far too long.”

You hear him laughing softly, his breath hot against your neck as he grinds against you, far far too slowly. You know he’s doing it on purpose, he can’t stop himself from torturing you. But, secretly, you relish it. Part of you wants to beg, your voice quiet and weak as you cry out for release. But that isn’t for now.

“Then let me help.”

You’re silently ecstatic when he drops back, pulling you atop him before rolling with you. You feel both very safe and very desperate with Asriel atop you again, although you aren’t quite as happy about the rapidly-growing pool of Asriel’s fluids dripping onto your clothing.

You pull him down hungrily, desperately, and kiss him as roughly as you can bring yourself to. It’s all bites and scratches, the pair of you bruising each other all over a he thrusts up against you, his precum proving more than adequate lubrication as the thick, almost scale-like textures of his cock grind against you, dragging any hope of holding back with them.

Your breath comes in short, agonising pants as you scratch deep into Asriel’s back, his thrusting getting faster and harder, bringing with them errant thoughts about how it would feel if he was inside you instead of just against you. You realise, despite your blurry thoughts and the rapidly increasing tension that felt like it was burning a hole in your crotch, that you welcome the thoughts.

You had hoped that fully accepting that you were in love with Asriel would come at a time that didn’t involve you being very almost rutted by him, but at least it happened. And you told him as such, your voice quiet and hoarse as you tell him, over and over again, that you love him.

His only reply comes as a series of soft, too soft kisses, replacing the biting you need so badly. You can barely hear what he says, his voice muffled as his muzzle presses against your neck, quiet grunts telling you all you need to know about how much he’s enjoying this. Your name is the only word you can understand, repeated over and over and over again.

The overwhelming sensations of Asriel’s weight atop you, the almost ridiculous amount of his fluids sticking to you and the heady smell of your combined arousal; they all finally overtake you and you bury yourself against Asriel’s neck, panting and squirming as your orgasm finally courses through you.

You buck against him weakly, your eyes screwed close as your muscles twitch and spasm, and you find yourself unable to hod back soft, desperate moans as your cum hits both Asriel’s stomach and your own, matting his fur and clinging to your shirt. You’ll have to wash it, and everything else you’re wearing, but you don’t care.

It feels like an eternity, but you can’t assume it’s actually any longer than another minute at most before Asriel peaks. It’s not as if you could miss it, considering the sheer amount of gray fluids that were coming from him. You felt bizarrely gratified by the fact that you, and nobody else, had managed to cause this. 

He was quiet. His breathing was softer than you expected, but you can see that he’s clearly highly tense, the muscles in his arms look about ready to give in. So, taking mercy on him, you pull him down on top of you, holding him tightly as you roll to your side, embracing him closely.

“H-how was it?”

His question is as quiet as he is, as if he’s scared that somehow he had messed up. Was he really still so nervous?

“You don’t have to worry so much, Asriel. I really enjoyed myself. As did you, given how incredibly sticky we are. I think this shirt might be ruined.”

That, at least, earns a laugh. A hoarse one, but a laugh nonetheless. That, weirdly, is every bit as satisfying as the session you’d just ended with him. As it is, however, you have great concerns about the state of your clothing and Asriel’s fur.

“Should we go shower? This is a lot of...uh, it’s a lot of mess. Let’s put it that way.”

“That sounds like a plan. Join me?”

“Absolutely.”


	16. Caprine exploration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I'm really sorry for this update being so late, but this was the fastest I could get it out. Between life stuff, health issues, and all manner of issues with my laptop, it's been a nightmare trying to complete this chapter. 
> 
> But it's done, finally, and I hope you all enjoy.

Things felt a lot more comfortable, you noted, since what had happened between you and Asriel. While you still, purely for nervousness sake, kept things a secret, you were still much closer. You had started, to Asriel’s surprise, reciprocating when he would act physical, even when you were with him and your other friends. You couldn’t help but wonder how soon it would be before your complete lack of subtlety made them realise what was happening.

Also, on a less pleasant line of thought, if any of your lecturers would find out. Of course, there was no ruling against relationships between students but you doubted, for some reason, that it would be quite as acceptable in your situation. And if that wasn’t concerning enough, one of said lecturers was Asriel’s mother.

And, worse, was the lecturer you currently had. Which wouldn’t be so bad, if Asriel wasn’t sat next to you and absolutely refused to behave himself. At least if he had tried to be subtle or something, it wouldn’t be so bad. But clearly, that wasn’t his style. 

You desperately hoped it was normal to want to smack your boyfriend and tell him to behave, because that was all your head was telling you to do. But you held back. You had to, for risk of revealing things you had no plans to reveal.

That’s why you were so incredibly glad when Toriel needed to collect something from the staff room. You knew she wouldn’t be gone long, but it was the time you needed.

“Asriel, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you mean? I’m just sat here.”

The shit-eating grin on his face only proved what you already knew. Still nervous of attracting attention, you keep your voice low as you move from questioning to scolding him, hoping he’ll see some amount of reason.

“Do you want us to get caught? You know I’m trying to keep us quiet. Why would you act so openly, especially in front of your mother?”

You aren’t sure if it’s paranoia or actually happening, but you feel others paying more attention to you and Asriel than they normally would. You desperately hope it’s paranoia, you absolutely do not need to be found out this way.

“It’s fun. If nothing else, seeing you squirm and panic is all kinds of adorable. Now, why don’t you stop questioning me and get back to work so you won’t be the one attracting Mom’s attention, hm?”

You feel more than a little affronted as Asriel brushes you off, turning back to his work and falling silent again. Perhaps it was merely your inexperience when it came to relationships, but having him try so hard to embarrass you seemed somewhat unfair. 

But, annoyingly, he was right. You couldn’t really risk getting on Toriel’s bad side, so despite the still-niggling feeling that you were being stared at, you got back to work. Focusing was a little harder now that you were so distracted, your mind wandering as your focus went along with it.

It really doesn’t help that you can’t shift the idea that the other students are looking at you more than usual. Your closeness with Asriel was quite the fuel for the rumor mill, but that wasn’t really much of a problem; you’d learnt to brush that off a couple of weeks ago now. But this felt different, and much more uncomfortable.

\-----------

The rest of your classes during the day went much the same. Easier, thanks to not having the additional stress of Toriel watching over you and her son who she didn’t know was your boyfriend; but they weren’t much better. That uncomfortable feeling didn’t go away, it just kept burning into your spine.

Asriel certainly didn’t help. You hadn’t expected him to, that wasn’t how he was as a person. But you wished, silently but unendingly, that he would at least back off a little bit. As the hours dragged on, you felt less and less sure of how well you had kept your relationship with Asriel a secret.

“Finally done for today, huh. Should we head back to the dorm, or did you want to go...do something else that I haven’t thought of yet?”

He sounds far too chipper for you, or your current attitude. You felt exhausted, the stress of trying to keep both yourself and Asriel in check having really taken a toll on you both physically and emotionally.

You’re not all that surprised that he picks up on it, falling back into step with you and pulling you closer to him. His warmth helps, and you feel too tired to care about who might see you.

“Dorm it is. You look exhausted, did today really take that much out of you?”

“No. You did, actually. You’ve been such a pain to look after today that I’m wiped out.”

He looks a little surprised, but you find it a little hard to believe that he doesn’t know what he’s been doing today. Regardless, going back to the dorm sounded a lot more inviting than going out. You could afford to push your coursework until tomorrow, none of your deadlines were close. So you’d likely be spending the rest of the day with Asriel, which was...fine.

“I guess you didn’t realise I’m so high-maintenance, huh? I gave you a chance to back out though, so you’re stuck with me now.”

You smile weakly, leaning against him and wrapping your arm around his waist. Maybe the comfort of being so close was more important than worrying about how other people would look at you. But that wasn’t something to think about right now.

“But seriously? I’m sorry. You know I’m not trying to stress you out, I just enjoy messing around with you. I’ll hold back a little if it worries you, okay?”

His arm snakes around your shoulders, and you feel suddenly much more at home. Something about Asriel, his warmth and the soft texture of his fur against you made you feel almost overwhelmingly relaxed, to the point of the muscles in your back and shoulders drooping how you’d expect them to while you were asleep.

“It’s fine. I’m not complaining, just pointing it out. I love you after all, I wouldn’t put up with it if I didn’t.”

You aren’t sure if Asriel even can blush, but if he could, you were certain that was what he would be doing now. Despite how often he liked to proclaim his love to you, in private of course, he always seemed confused and embarrassed when you reciprocate. Almost as if he keeps forgetting how much you love him.

“It’s not like you to be so forward, princess. What are you after?”

“I’m not after anything. I just like embarrassing you. Where would the fun be if only you got to tease, hm?”

He pulls you a little more against him, laughing at you softly. This felt...right. Comfortable, as if this is how it should be.

“I guess that’s true. It seems like you’re trying to match me perfectly, hm? First you try and pull control out from under me when we get intimate, and now you’re trying to out-tease me? It’s almost like you want our relationship to become a competition.”

“C’mon, don’t be like that. You make it sound weird that we’re alike, and we work well together. And besides, you looked far more at home underneath me than atop me. Sooo...”

“I did not. Don’t you dare assume such things of me.”

The mock outrage in his voice is delightful, and perfect proof of your points. But, you realised, that this was still very bizarre. Interspecies relationships like yours weren’t quite as rare as they used to be, but they were still very uncommon even in places like Ebott, with a very even species split in their populace.

And this was most certainly the first time a monster or human of any real note had engaged in one. That was terrifying, when you really thought of it, that you were unintentionally making history. And on top of that, would anyone really believe you, if you told them? They certainly wouldn’t have any reason to.

“You’ve got that ‘I’m overthinking things and it isn’t good for me’ look going on. What is it this time?”

You must have been more predictable than you wanted to be. Or he was cheating and using some kind of magical nonsense to figure out what was going on with you. He did that more than he should.

“Us. As always. Not in a bad way, just in a...new way. Like, we’re basically making history. There hasn’t been a notable human/monster couple at all. ‘Important’ people and monsters tend not to...y’know, be interested in the other species. Like you are.”

“Aww, so you do think I’m important. I feel so flattered.”

“Don’t be an idiot, Azzy. You’re literally heir to an entire species of people. That makes you important, regardless of how much of a self-centered dumbass you can be.”

You stumble a little as Asriel hip-checks you, forcing you to tighten your grip on him just to keep yourself upright.

“I’m not self-centered. A dumbass...ehhh, I can be. But I’m not self-centered.”

“Sure. But either way, we’re sort of a big deal. Which is just another reason why I want to keep us quiet. Could you imagine the way people would react if they found out? Outside of just stupid college kids, I mean.”

Asriel shrugged, and you almost lost your mind at how he could possibly act so casual. Sure, he wasn’t really one for paying attention to things, but this was still a little far even for him.

“Are...are you serious? You honestly don’t care. You don’t...Asriel, we’re literally the first interspecies relationship that involves someone of importance. We’re making history, in our own stupid way. Maybe pay a little more attention to the fact I’m making some sense, hm?”

You felt an odd and not entirely comfortable feeling of, well, almost superiority when he focused on your words so intently as he was now. He was, as you had said, the heir of the whole of monsterkind, and yet he would often just...fold to your will.

You tried not to think too hard about other applications of this.

“I’m...yeah, I guess you’re right. I just get so caught up in...being around you, and enjoying that, that I don’t care about other things. I mean...god, I’m what, twenty? I don’t want to care about the world as a whole just yet. I’m enjoying this too much. Is that bad?”

You smile weakly, pushing open the door to the dorm block, still wrapped around Asriel.

“No. Honestly, not really. I’m just...I’ve been raised to be worried. Everything gets to me, and everything we do, as great as it is, just twists the knife really. It makes me paranoid, and nervous. I love it, but it terrifies me. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah. I can’t say I get it, because y’know, I couldn’t really give much of a shit about anything other than myself, and you. But it makes sense. Just let me know what I can do to make things easier on you, alright?”

His concern is deeply heartwarming, and you realise that at least three other students have given the pair of you very unusual looks, and you hadn’t even flinched at it. Maybe there was a happy medium between how the two of you felt, and that you just needed to find that. It wasn’t worth struggling against your own feelings for the sake of other people.

“I’ll be sure to do that. But either way, it’ll get better in time. Like you’ve told me before, we’re new to this. We’ve only been together for a little while, we still haven’t gotten it all figured out yet.”

You finally detached from Asriel, the lack of warmth against you surprisingly severe. There was something about his magically enhanced body heat that always drew you to be close to him, and it always felt bizarre when he wasn’t there anymore.

The click of your dorm room lock brings you from your stupor, and you shake your head a little to clear your eyes as they refocus on the world around you.

“Home sweet home. Now, let’s get you in here and get some meds in you. I don’t even have to read your mind to tell that you’re about to get a headache, so let’s work on that before it gets out of hand.”

That would explain the niggling pains behind your eyes. Asriel’s magic really was a blessing in disguise, and you walked into your room behind him, thanking him quietly. You couldn’t help but wonder how many uses his magic can have. You hadn’t thought on it much, but they had to be plentiful, right? He was made of the stuff.

“Does it have to be medication? Don’t you have some kind of healing magic or whatever? Is that a thing you can do?”

You close the door behind yourself, locking the door for the sake of privacy. It hadn’t seemed like a problematic question, but for some reason, Asriel seemed flustered and even a little confused.

“Something the matter, Azzy? Did I ask something wrong?”

“No. I mean, I can heal you. That is possible. But I’m not sure how you’d react to magical healing, and I’ve heard it has...side effects. Side effects I’m not really sure you want to deal with.”

You didn’t really need to know anything more than that. You were curious, sure. But it wasn’t a big deal, so you shrugged and let the subject drop. Medicine was just fine with you, it had done it’s job in the past.

“I won’t deny it if you want it that badly, though, princess. Just as long as you don’t have any plans for tonight.”

Curiosity now piqued and concern equally so, you press him further, seeking answers.

“What exactly do you mean, if I don’t have plans tonight? What kind of side-effects are we talking about here, Azzy?”

“Arousal, normally. Crippling arousal, from what I’ve heard. I’ve never caused it so I wouldn’t know, but that’s what’s been reported.”

“Crippling, huh? How crippling are we talking? Like, enough to make you annoyed at it, or...like, hentai levels of desperation?”

“The latter. Give or take.”

You swallowed hard, surprised and worryingly drawn to that idea. You really should get yourself checked out for some kind of...whatever kind of problem it is when you get constantly reminded of how you were near-constantly aroused.

“Got it. So, probably for the best that you don’t give me healing magic or whatever. As fun as fooling around with you can be, I don’t want to be subjected to that. You’re already too dominant as it is, I don’t really feel okay with the whole becoming a sex slave thing.”

“Woah, I never said sex slave. Just, y’know, horny enough that you’d probably be on your knees begging for it. Don’t make it weirder than it already would be, alright?”

You aren’t sure what’s weirder, the fact that Asriel seems uncomfortable with this, or that you aren’t. It felt at contrast with how things normally were, with him being much more confident sexually and you being the confused, nervous one. Maybe he wasn’t as sure of where he wanted to be, beneath or atop you.

“That’s what it sounded like, is all. And besides, I would have thought that you, being the all-powerful prince that you are, would have liked the idea of having me submit that entirely. Or perhaps it’s because you’d rather be in that position, hm?”

This was how you found out Asriel can, in fact, blush. It’s adorable, also, a dusting of pink beneath his white fur that seems almost comic-book in how it looks. Now galvanized by the fact you may have found a weakness in his armor, you push on, curious to see just how far you could with this before it got weird. Weirder.

“That looks like agreement to me. Have you still been trying to put up a front, hm? Perhaps you’d rather be the one on their knees, begging.”

You wonder if this is even remotely close to what he really wants, or whether you’re way off of his actual desires. That was to figure out through this, however, you thought. You had to figure it out somehow, after all.

So, deciding that as you’ve gotten this far you might as well keep going, you step closer to him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him down, you lower your voice and try, hopefully with success, to add some growl to your voice.

“Perhaps more, hm? A collar, or a gag. Maybe both. Such a proud prince, reduced to a pet. Is that what you want?”

You swear you hear him whimper. Perhaps it’s your over-excitement playing tricks on you, but you want to believe that it happened. Something had to go your way, when it came to this kind of thing. You couldn’t let him be in charge all the time.

“I never took you for the type, Azzy. I’m glad to hear you’re so willing to fall to your knees for me, despite being so superior.”

You’re shocked into silence as he actually does drop down to his knees, his inhuman eyes still locked onto yours as you step back in your surprise, the sight of having Asriel so almost aggressively submissive enough to entirely derail your thoughts. It’s harder than you expect to even hold his gaze, the words you had now completely abandoning you.

“Why do you look so surprised? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

He sounds so innocent, despite the meaning behind his words; and you can’t help but wonder how much of his actions is willing, and how much is to tease you. He was good at the latter, after all.

“You wanted me like this, Master, didn’t you? On my knees for you, isn’t this what you wanted?”

You can’t stop yourself from stepping back as he crawls toward you. The back of your legs hit the metal of your bedframe as you swallow hard, suddenly overtaken by the consequences of your teasing becoming very, very real.

He doesn’t stop, and you feel very trapped by him, your muscles tensing up as he moves back to his knees, looking up at you with a far too angelic expression on his face. He knew exactly what he was doing, of that you were sure, but there was nothing you could do.

You almost expect him to start scratching at you, or something of that nature. He fell all too easily into this role, and you’ve been so thoroughly thrown from your thought processes that you can’t focus.

He kneels, unmoving, as you find yourself so incredibly trapped in such an incomprehensible situation that you’re unsure of how to even think. Part of you, the part that always tries to drag you further and further into sin, wants to stroke him. To run your fingers through his fur, perhaps grasp his horns.

For once, and you hope desperately that it will only be for once, you obey that part of your thoughts. You reach down, almost mindlessly, and you pull his chin up toward you, your eyes locked on his. The depth of his inhuman eyes never failed to draw you in, and that very same thing caught you now. Your fingers trail through the thicker fur on his face, and you wonder how many people there are in the world that would want to be in your position.

“You know I love you, don’t you Asriel?”

“Of course. And I love you too.”

Words so oft repeated that you hope they won’t lose their meaning, but words heartfelt nonetheless. You swallowed down the part of your thoughts that wanted to use him in this position, to make this situation, albeit very unusual, much more sexual than it really needed to be.

You had teased him, of course, but hadn’t really meant anything by it. It was meant to be harmless, nothing more, and it had somehow devolved into this.

“Please get off your knees. It’s giving me a lot of conflicted emotions right now.”

You’re very grateful when he does. More grateful still as he pulls you close to him. The embrace that follows is tight and almost desperate, as if both of you are hiding something from each other, but you can’t bring yourself to care.

“Sorry. I just...”

“You get carried away. I get it. I just wish you did things that didn’t get me so hot and bothered.”

You hear him laugh, the reverberation pushing into you from his chest. He’s so insufferably warm, his magically-enhanced body heat almost making you sweat, so you can’t even begin to understand how it isn’t unbearable for him.

“I can’t help myself. And besides, don’t act like you weren’t secretly wanting more from me than what I gave. I don’t even have to pry into your thoughts to know that.”

You push yourself closer to him, burying your face into his clothing to hide your embarrassment. While he may have been right, you desperately wanted him to shut up and stop being such a frustrating nuisance.

“Although, if you wanted, I could most definitely start prying. I could find out your deepest, most lustful secrets about what you would want from me. I’m still curious about those, after all.”

You do not, at all, want him knowing those. You were nervous enough around him without having him know the most carefully-hidden parts of your still-confusing sexuality. Especially given how you had struggled to find anyone else to think about when you were, to put it politely, enjoying some time by yourself.

“Aww, is that so? You really must have it bad for me then, if you’re that needy, and that you can’t think of anyone other than me when you’re getting off. That’s adorable, and incredibly flattering.”

“Stop doing that! Goddamnit, will you get out of my head, that is so uncool!”

You push him away, frustrated and most likely failing to look as intimidating as you want to, given that Asriel is much taller than you are. You know he never does these things maliciously, but it still gets under your skin.

“But it’s so cute that you’re so hopelessly in love that you can’t even get off without me being involved somehow. I’ll have to make it easier on you in future now that I know this. Perhaps some photos, or...”

“Azzy, stop it. I swear to god, I’m going to burn to ashes with all this fucking blushing you’re making me do. Just let me be a filthy sinner in peace, will you? Please?”

You aren’t even surprised when his arms move lower, lifting you and placing you upon the bed you were backed up against. In fact, you welcome it, all the moreso as Asriel climbs atop you.

“And why would I do that? Sinning is so much more fun with others, my precious little human. So tell me, if you would, what you think of when you touch yourself.”

Crap. You were really hoping he wouldn’t focus too much on that. Your head still throbbed, but now there’s plenty of other parts of you that are doing much the same.

But you couldn’t bring yourself to answer. Not that you wanted to, but you felt physically unable to do so. You weren’t even sure it mattered, seeing as you seemed much more susceptible to having your mind read when you were aroused, as you were now.

“Being like that, hm? Then let me find out while I keep that mouth of yours busy, as it won’t be talking.”

You go to question him, but he closes the gap between you near-instantly. You love kissing him almost as much as you love him, you realise. It’s probably his tongue. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed to be his tongue. The thing is far longer than it should be, and he seems to be able to use it like a tentacle, almost.

You hate how, now thinking of it like that, the part of your thoughts that decided it was a good idea to let this happen in the first place, was now forcing it’s way to the forefront of your mind, bringing with it so many desires that you couldn’t have believed yourself capable of only months ago.

He pulls away, and it scares you how you hear yourself whine. You pull him back down, desperate in ways that terrified you of how much of a slave to him you would be if he tried to heal you.

He twists away at the last moments, sinking his fangs deep and hard into your neck. The sensation forces your back to arch, your muscles tense as you whimper. You fucking whimper for him, acting like a lost, lovesick puppy who needs more than he’s getting.

“Hm. And to think, you were just berating me for how I hide my submission. And here you are, beneath me with your thoughts so overwhelmed by how you’re so desperate for me to fuck you.”

“T-that isn’t...entirely true.”

“Is that so? Are you trying to tell me that, perhaps-”

You grab his muzzle to silence him, frustration burning within you as much as your arousal is. You don’t understand how he can be so dense sometimes, especially with nearly free access to your thoughts.

“I want to be on both ends. I’m not just submissive, Azzy, and you need to learn this. All of my relationships before you, I’ve been in control when it comes to the bedroom. I want that here, too. Not all the time, but some.”

He looks more surprised than you hoped. It seemed perfectly reasonable before, but you couldn’t help but doubt yourself a little now. Realising he’ll probably need to talk in order to reply, you gently release him, hoping you didn’t accidently hurt him or something.

“So, you weren’t just screwing with me when you were teasing before? You actually...would want me to submit. Or at least be on the recieving end.”

“Yeah. Is that gonna be a problem?”

“Not at all. I just...you seemed so content submitting. I thought that was what you preferred.”

“Not all the time. Not all of my fantasies about us had me recieving. Quite a lot involved...well, the opposite. I like the idea of giving just as much.”

It’s a huge relief that he doesn’t seem bothered by the idea.

“Would you like to do that now, then? Seeing as you’re so needy, and I’d be lying if I denied my own arousal.”

On instinct, you look down. Curiosity gets the better of you, as it always does, and you realise that he’s not lying. You aren’t sure if your lack of embarrassment is due to your knowledge of exactly what he’s hiding, but it seems about right. Your own arousal is equally apparent, although your clothes fit better than his, so you aren’t straining against the fabric as much.

“Didn’t believe me, hm?”

You swallow hard to keep yourself silent as he pulls you up, rolling with you to swap your positions. Being atop him always brings a rush of lust strong enough to concern you; but he was the one who asked whether you wanted this. So surely he did, too.

“You don’t need to be nervous. I wouldn’t have asked you if I wasn’t okay with this.”

His words help ease, although not remove, the worry that you have. Despite that nervousness, you press on, leaning down against him as you buck lightly against him.

He wraps his arms around your neck, his breath coming in short, rasping pants that tell you more than how hard he feels underneath you ever could. Your thoughts, however, quickly drift to the concern that Asriel may have never done anything more sexual than he had done before with you, so this may be his first time.

“It’s not. I’m not a virgin, you don’t have to worry.”

You shake your head slightly, a small smile on your face as you pause your actions to look at him, an eyebrow raised from curiosity.

“I thought I was your first boyfriend.”

“What, you haven’t had sex with someone you aren’t with?”

“Personally, no. But I’m a little less nervous now, seeing as I have you to lead me through this.”

You begin your motions again, in earnest, grinding up against him and yet again finding yourself so desperate to speed this up. You weren’t sure why you felt so against foreplay. Perhaps it was your desire to explore what the pair of you were capable of.

“I will, as best I can.”

He smiles, and you can’t stop yourself from blushing. You are far, far too in love with this stupid goat. Not finding it in yourself to reply, you simply reach down between you, fumbling with the fly of his pants to pull them free, before quickly doing the same for yourself.

“You look so nervous. Why are you scared?”

You’re more startled than you wish you were by his voice. It brings you from your focus, and you almost catch yourself on your zip. You had thought it obvious, but Asriel never seemed to feel fear, so perhaps it made no sense to him. Perhaps you were just overthinking things.

“Why do you think?”

“Are we moving too fast? If that’s what it is, we can slow down. I’m fine with that. I don’t-”

“No, idiot. I’m scared of this. Of hurting you, or getting hurt somehow. I’m not a virgin either, but my experience is with women. And human ones at that. You are neither of those things.”

“How observant. But I’m here to help you through this, okay?”

“I know. I just...this is a little...can you imagine how many people would want to be in my position right now?”

You laugh weakly, nervously, as your arms threaten to buckle underneath you. You want to do this, desperately, but you aren’t sure you’re strong enough. You want to be, more than you could believe.

“I assume hundreds. Thousands, even. Although hopefully not at the same time.”

He always makes stupid jokes. They help far more than they should, and you find yourself laughing despite yourself. Your arms weaken, and you fall atop him, holding him close.

“Can’t even hold yourself up, huh? Then how about this?”

Before you get the chance to question him, he rolls you onto your back and climbs over you, kneeling above your waist. You quickly put two and two together, and swallow hard as you realise he seems to be planning on riding you.

“You seem to be liking the view. I wonder if you’ll like it more when we really get down to things.”

He pulls his shirt up and over his head, before quickly climbing off of you to strip off his pants. Now leaving himself only in underwear, he climbs atop you again, his heat and weight pushed heavily against your achingly-hard cock.

“A-azzy, are you sure? I-I mean, we don’t have protection and I sure as hell don’t own any lube, o-or...”

“Princess. Relax. I’m fine with taking you bareback, don’t worry about that. As for lube, well...I am made of magic, it’s not like I can’t just make that a non-issue.”

You hadn’t expected him, somehow, to be so casual about this. The thought of doing this unprotected brought with it a huge surge of arousal, enough to cause Asriel to notice, and for that blush to show up on his cheeks again.

“Someone likes the sound of that, huh? The thought of fucking me without protection, it excites you? You pervert.”

Your blush only deepens, you hadn’t thought it was that bad of a thing to be excited about, surely it was natural to be into this? You were starting to doubt yourself more and more with each passing minute.

You end up so focused on why he might think that way that his movements shock you, causing your back to arch and a barely-muffled moan to escape you, your hand barely covering your mouth in time.

“D-don’t surprise me like t-that! Fuck, you’re r-really-”

You fall silent, unable to speak coherently as Asriel grinds against you, the fabric of your underwear rapidly soaking with your precum as he does so. Instinct tells you, begs you even, to grind back, to buck your hips against him. You do so, almost desperately, and find blessed relief as your underwear peels back, the dampened fabric now longer forming a barrier between you and Asriel, the only thing now stopping you from what you truly want being his underwear.

“Having fun down there?”

“S-shut up. Damnit, Azzy, I’m s-so fucking hard. I need you so bad, s-so please. Please, can we get on with this?”

His shit-eating grin makes you want to slap it from his face, but you settle for pulling him down and immediately going to work on his neck, biting and kissing him over and over, trying desperately to get the point across that you desperately needed this, needed him.

“Alright, alright, I get it. Ng, jeez.”

The sound of him moaning as you sink your teeth into his neck is delicious, and you’re more than a little reluctant to let him go, but you must. The lack of weight on your crotch as he climbs off to strip off the last piece of clothing he has on is bizarre, and you dislike it intensely.

As such, the heat and weight feels like bliss when he gets back atop you, his fur feeling hot and quickly sticking to you because of the fluids that had pooled messily on your crotch.

It wasn’t often that you had genuine, heartfelt thoughts that you were most definitely going to hell for being who you were. But right now, you were overwhelmed by those exact feelings.

“Can we get to the point yet, Azzy? Please? I need this, and you, so badly.”

Your words came breathlessly, and you weren’t entirely sure if you were still in charge or not, but that wasn’t really at the forefront of your head right now. Your lust was most important, nothing more.

“Weren’t you supposed to be the one in charge here? And here you are, a squirming littl-”

“Shut up already, will you? I am not in the mood for your stupid smooth talk. I need more than talk, and I know you do too. So why don’t you stop trying to act all tough, and get on with it, hm?”

You find a sort of sick glee whenever you shut him up, as you have done now. His dominant expression quickly falls into one of sheepish allowance, as he nods weakly. A little concerned that you might be starting to have some kind of superiority kink, you focus instead on Asriel; on his weight upon you most prevalently.

“That’s a little better. Now, I wonder just how willing to submit you are. Since we both already know your dominant persona is just that, a facade...”

He swallows hard, visibly so, staying silent all of a sudden, a move you had expected. He wasn’t good at admitting his true feelings, much as you weren’t. But you were glad, at least, that he was willing to show you this much.

“Buck on me, Asriel. I want to feel you grind for me, like a good little goat. Okay?”

It’s a little surprising that he does so, so quickly. Almost the instant your words escape your mouth, he pushes his hips up against you, thrusting and grinding and smearing your combined fluids, his inhuman dark ones with your own translucent pearl-white ones.

The muffled, strangled moans as he bites into his hand are like music to your ears, and you eagerly repay the favor, thrusting your hips underneath him, grinding against him harder and harder with each thrust. Your thighs already feel tense, although you know you’re nowhere near your peak.

It’s a little surprising to hear him be the one to start begging now. His words are hushed, near-silent and you swear you can hear the desperation dripping from his voice.

“What was that, Asriel? I didn’t hear you.”

He glares at you, clearly trying very hard to look intimidating and failing horribly. On instinct, you grab his hips, pulling him hard against you, but you find yourself frozen as a significantly louder than usual moan escapes him. You’d never heard him be so loud before, you weren’t even aware it could happen; but it had. 

“Don’t say a word.”

The embarrassment in his tone is delicious, made all the sweeter when you keep bucking against him, his fur soaked in your favorite shade of pink as he whines and squirms atop you. The rush of knowing that this was your fault, that you had made the prince of all of monsterkind submit to you; it was intoxicating.

“And why not, Azzy? It was adorable, y’know.”

He hangs his head, not deigning to look at you and only further proving that you’re totally in control at this point. Putting on a face of mock affront at his actions, you reach up to his chin, grabbing it gently and pulling him to look at you.

Seeing his nervousness breaks through your act quicker than you expected, so you relent on it slightly, stroking his fur softly. A question burns its way to the forefront of your mind, and you can’t stop yourself from letting it spill forth.

“Are you good to keep going? I-I think I’m ready for us to, y’know.”

His smile only widens, embarrassed as he is, and your only answer is a weak nod, quickly followed by him shifting his position on you. You feel your erection, aching and dripping messily at this point, being pushed back with him as he moves, causing a sharp ache to spike in your crotch as he does so, more from surprise than anything else.

“I think I can manage that. You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever really be.”

Your nervousness matches his at this point, his experience clearly outmatching yours as he actually has some. It’s harder than you expect to keep your breathing even as he moves up and off of you, for mere moments although it feels like an eternity.

Focusing only gets harder, almost impossibly so, as he leans back against you, and you can feel something you’re well aware of...shifting against you, almost pliant. It unnerves you, just a little, but not as much as you would have expected. Those nerves are quickly quelled, however, as he rocks back against you.

You get the time, just about, to muffle your moans, but Asriel gets no such chance as you instinctively buck your hips, grinding hard against him. Your motions push you, over and over, against the one part of him you were yet to explore. Asriel seems to be even more eager for that to change than you are, as well.

Your name, you realise, is the most common word in his strained, breathy moans. It spills from him like it’s a blessing of some kind, his eyes screwed closed as he whines it, over and over as he writhes atop you.

It’s purely by accident that you move further. His grinding, getting more erratic with every motion, causes his knee to shift, sliding away and forcing him downward just slightly, but more than enough all the same. You almost freeze up, feeling suddenly far more tense from the unexpected shift that had very effectively pushed you inside of him.

A soft, desperate whimper is the noise that splits the sudden silence, as Asriel hangs his head out of what you hope is embarrassment. You reach to him again, gently pulling him to look at you.

You’ve seen him aroused before, a few times, both intentionally and otherwise, but you’d never seen him like this before. His eyes were half-lidded, and he almost seemed to be struggling to keep himself in check; which causes that always-lingering part of your mind to flare up, filling your head with all kinds of filthy thoughts.

“I didn’t realise you were so eager, Azzy. Even making it look like an accident, how clever.”

A soft laugh is the only reply you get, a slow thrust of his hips pushing himself further against you, forcing a sharp gasp from you. The way he feels on you is almost enough to send you insane, a rush of delirious pleasure coursing through you as he shifts, grinding against you all the more.

“Y-you sound like you’re enjoying yourself. I must feel p-pretty good, huh?”

“Better than you know, Azzy. But aren’t you taking this a little slow? What happened to all that experience, hm?”

His answer drags the breath from you in a rush, his weight feeling all the more present as he pushes himself further upon you. Now breathless, winded even, from the overwhelming sensations from such a new, alien thing; your chest heaves with every breath as Asriel settles himself, almost entirely upon you now.

“Not so cocky now, hm? I was just adjusting, and now I’m all ready to go. Unlike you, it seems.”

“Ugh, will you shut up? This is my first time, you know that.”

He pauses, his chest heaving as much as yours is. It surprises you most that you don’t feel uncomfortable here. Being beneath him, and inside him, doesn’t feel wrong. You really, really wish this kind of epiphany would turn up at more convienient times.

“I know. Are you comfortable, like this? I’m not too heavy?”

“Not at all. I’m fine with this. Not the staying still part, but the rest.”

You squirm a little, feeling somewhat sweaty from the exertion of this. You were trying desperately not to think too much on what this situation meant, that was for later. For now, you had much more important things to focus on.

“You sure you’re ready to keep going?”

“Absolutely. I want this so bad, Azzy. And you keep waiting.”

“Because I’m making sure you’re safe, and okay with this.”

He smiles a little, shifting and grinding against you to the point where he’s almost entirely upon you now, with practically all of your length inside him. Your breathing feels a little labored, as if you’re fighting for it, but it’s almost euphoric.

“I’m v-very okay. Now for the love of all that’s holy, stop talking and start riding me.”

You hate how flushed you get when you see him wink. It’s not even a big deal, but for some reason it flusters you more than anything else so far.

“With pleasure, princess.”

It’s all you can do to keep silent as he pushes his hips forward, circling them ever-so-slightly. The motions, slow and repeated, give a burning sensation throughout your body, making it feel like acid was coursing through your veins. As such, you’re near-silent, breathless and panting as he starts to make good on his promise.

At least Asriel seemed to be as overtaken by this as you were. His chest was heaving, and you could see the fur on his chest was matted from his drooling. He didn’t seem to be able to control that, but you didn’t want him to. He was more attractive than he had any right to be, considering the situation.

Quickly realising that you were staring, you look away, blushing heavily and struggling to keep your breathing in order. Your whole body ached in various ways for even more various reasons, feeling delirious from the pleasure Asriel was giving you. But knowing that, you were suddenly overcome with worry that his pleasure wasn’t high enough.

“A-Azzy, are you...is everything okay?”

You hated, so very much, that your question made him stop. He had you pinned beneath him so you weren’t even able to struggle, which only made it worse.

“Why do you ask? Is something wrong, am I hurting you?”

“No! N-no, I mean, it’s...I’m worried I’m not satisfying you well enough.”

His laughter sends shivers down your spine, and through him into much more sensitive parts of you. It also leaves you all the more confused, unsure of whether it’s mocking or not.

“You’re more than enough, don’t you worry. It’s been a while since I’ve done this, anyhow, so I’m quiet because I’m enjoying it. I’m not loud in general.”

You found yourself surprisingly disappointed that he, apparently, was never particularly loud. But it wasn’t a problem, far from it; the problem was how he was still refusing to move.

“Now, shall we keep going? You’re so twitchy.”

You shifted, slightly, but still as much as you could, before nodding your consent. Desperation was starting to set in at this point, your arousal burning deep into your body to the point where you couldn’t bear to think of anything else other than Asriel.

“Alright then. God, you’re so cute, you know that?”

“Oh my god, will you stop getting distracted?”

Your words come out more as whines, your chest heaving as you push your hips against your caprine lover as best you could. It wasn’t much, his weight on you felt too significant to do much more than small movements, but it was gratifying nonetheless.

The way he felt atop you was nearly indescribable, and getting more intense with each passing moment. You had never found yourself in a situation like this before, but now that you were in it, you found yourself hooked, addicted even. He felt intoxicating, and you felt almost delirious because of it. You were more grateful than you wanted to admit when he did as you asked, bucking his hips against you as he shifted to also push himself in such a way that he was now properly riding you.

Your name rolls off his tongue, no louder than a hoarse whisper, but enough to send shivers down your spine and blood between your legs. You pull him down, hoping it doesn’t make his position uncomfortable, cradling yourself in his neck.

The scent of his fur, earthen and very grounding, helps clear your head as the two of you continue, locked in a cycle of shifting and grinding, his hips bucking against your own as you feel the heavy, sticky heat of Asriel’s arousal pooling on your stomach. It smells almost exactly as you expect it would, but is just another thing that draws you further into this depraved situation.

The aching in your loins is building faster than you really wanted it to, however, and you tell him as much. You recieve a quiet, breathless acknowledgement, and find yourself twitching and shifting more and more underneath Asriel.

“I don’t want you to hold back, princess, okay? Let me feel just how good I’ve made you feel.”

Confirmation of what you wanted more desperately than anything else. It felt like you’d been given the key to paradise, and you couldn’t stop yourself from thanking him over and over again. It was moments, few but agonisingly long, before you granted him the request you both knew you were longing for.

The knot of tension that had been building in your lower body for longer than you could have ever wanted it to, finally untangled and did so very rapidly. With one last, needy push of your crotch against Asriel’s furred rear, you fall to your back, spots flaring in front of your eyes as your orgasm hits.

Asriel, to his credit, quite literally rides you through it, and the already intense pleasure of your first time with another male only got better as you felt your cum around your length within Asriel, only pushing the heat up higher.

Realising all too late that you had finished before he had, you quickly reach for him to remedy that. You find it a little surprising, as such, when he swats your hand away.

“Don’t worry, I can do that.”

“But I...I want to. It’s only fair.”

He relents as quickly as you hoped he would, and you reached for his twitching, inhuman cock eagerly. The shape of it was infinitely fascinating, the ridges and curves of it making it surprisingly easy and comfortable to grasp; which you knew wasn’t going to be enough to bring Asriel to the peak you had just reached.

Asriel slowly shifts himself off of you, and you feel just how much you had let out into Asriel as it seeps between the two of you. Refusing to let that distract you, however, you start to pleasure Asriel as best as you could. He had said, when you’d done this before, that you were quite good at it; so you hoped that was the case.

You were so focused on the task quite literally at hand that you almost jumped when Asriel’s hand touched your cheek. You look up at him, confused, while your hands continue the work you so desperately wanted to do for him.

“You look so cute. Focusing s-so hard.”

His stutter makes you smile slightly, the pink in his fur every bit as present now as it was when this had started. This was a huge step for the two of you, but it felt every bit as natural as anything else had.

The two of you remained mostly silent after that, the only sounds in the room being Asriel’s barely-muffled whimpers and moans as you continue to stroke him off. You had still not gotten up the nerves to try and go down on him as he had you in the past; but this felt like the perfect time to try such a thing.

“H-hey, Azzy? Can we move, I wanna try something.”

“Now, of all times? I mean, sure, but now I’m confused.”

He climbed off of you, and you quickly slid off the bed, suddenly feeling all of the exhaustion from this..session, you supposed, set in all at once. Every muscle in your body ached, but you had to do this, for him. He deserved this, and so much more, but this was all you could bear to do at this point, as exhausted as you were.

“I want to try to, uh...well, you’ll see. Could you sit on the edge of the bed?”

“Sure?”

He looked very confused by how you were acting, but his arousal clearly hadn’t faded, if the mess on your hands and the fluids leaking from his erection were any indication. He does as you ask quickly enough, and you shuffle forward between his thighs, sizing up how you might have to try and do this. You hadn’t, before, after all. It seemed simple enough when Asriel did it to you, so you decided that it was best simply to try it and see how it went.

Leaning forward slightly, you simply follow what Asriel had done to you. Although your tongue is nowhere near as impressive as his, you drag it up his length regardless, all the while looking up toward him to see if your actions had the intended reaction.

You were infinitely thankful that they did; as his hands made their way to your hair, his clawed fingers tangled amongst the fibres of it as you repeated your actions, pleasantly surprised at how he tasted. It wasn’t particularly unpleasant as you had expected, but nor was it something overly wonderful either.

Almost desperate to truly satisfy him at this point, you open your mouth and push your head forward slightly, taking the first inch or two of him into you. His grip tightened against your hair, and you could almost feel him resisting the urge to push you further.

Your focus on your task made it too hard to maintain eyecontact with Asriel, so you close your eyes instead, letting you focus entirely on the task at hand. Or mouth, now, you supposed. Lowering yourself a little, you feel Asriel tensing against you, his hips thrusting ever so slightly against you. This felt fine, not too fast and certainly not too rough.

You could hear Asriel, even if you couldn’t see him. His breathing seemed to be ragged, and given the tight grip he had on you, he was enjoying this every bit as much as you hoped he would. It was pleasurable for you too, oddly. Positioned as you were, Asriel’s scent was nearly overpowering, as was the smell of sex that now permeated the room. It was delightful in a very lewd way.

Your enjoyment of the situation only deepens as Asriel’s grip tightens hard, and you find you breath torn from you as you’re pushed against Asriel’s crotch, his fur tickling your nose as you’re held there. You can’t help but struggle somewhat, your lungs feeling suddenly starved of oxygen; all the moreso as a thick, heavy fluid is forced down your throat. Purely on instinct, you swallow it; the viscous fluid feeling almost like hot syrup as it burns its way down your throat.

In a brief moment of respite from Asriel’s vice grip, you pull yourself back as quickly as you can, doing what you can to regain your breath as the, thankfully last few, strands of Asriel’s cum, for of course that’s what it was, lands on your collarbone and face. Your chest aches like you’ve never felt before, and it’s quite the struggle to push yourself back onto your feet, half-collapsing onto the mattress beside your roommate-turned-lover.

“That was quite the surprise, princess.”

“Glad you liked it.”

Both of you are breathless, exhaustion most definitely burnt into your muscles and it seems like Asriel’s too. You lean against Asriel’s shoulder, using your clean hand to wipe the excess fluids from yourself.

“I loved it. Almost as much as I love you, in fact. But seeing as we’re both pretty covered with each other, let’s go clean this off. Sound good?”

You nod in agreement, the pair of you helping each other to the bathroom. Realising now, and confused that you hadn’t noticed this in the months since you started living in this room, that the shower is in fact big enough for both of you; you let Asriel turn it on and step beneath it before joining him a moment later.

“So, how did you handle your first time with another guy?”

“I think I did alright. I hope I did, at least.”

“You did great, don’t worry about that. It’s been a while, but I sure as hell don’t remember enjoying it that much. Maybe there’s some merit to the whole relationship before sex thing.”

Asriel’s clawed hands make their way down your sides, before resting on your hips. You look up to him, as best you can consdering you’re under a shower, and shrug.

“Maybe there is. You know I love you, right Azzy?”

“So you keep telling me. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing it either.”

“Good, because I don’t plan on stopping telling you.”

You lean into your caprine lover, wrapping your arms around him and nuzzling into the soaked fur of his chest. The pair of you stunk to high heavens, the smell of sex clinging to both of you like a terrible cologne, but for some reason you loved it. You loved that it was because of him that you smelled so bad, and because of you that he did.

“Now, I’m still sticky, and so are you most likely. So let’s clean up.”

“You got it. Mind getting my back first? I’ll do yours after.”

“Sounds good.”


	17. Something kept hidden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I realise that I disappeared basically without any warning. Let's just keep it simple and say I have had...quite the string of life events to deal with. I hope to get back to writing, but I doubt I'll ever be able to keep the schedule I once did. I hope that isn't too significant a disappointment, and I hope you enjoy what I can still put out.

You relished the freedom that you felt now. Being with Asriel had, up until last night when you had taken perhaps the most significant step for a relationship outside of marriage, made you nervous whenever he was even close to you.

But now, that was no longer an issue. It was as if that fear, that barrier that kept you from truly enjoying your relationship had now gone; and you were free to be truly and overwhelmingly in love. Well, not entirely free as there was still some things you had to be careful with; but you were certainly much less worried about things than you used to be.

Except when you were in class. There was no way you couldn’t be careful in class, you were barely passing in the first place and you did not need the distraction of Asriel being his usual self. It was a good thing he was willing to agree to that, as you knew full well you’d lose that argument. It only helped that you reminded him that neither of you were quite ready for Toriel to find out about the pair of you yet.

It was quite the wonder nobody seemed to have caught on, honestly. Or at least, if anyone had, they hadn’t been obvious about it. You wouldn’t have thought it’d be particularly hard to notice, given that the pair of you had grown so close and acted so affectionately. Perhaps the other students simply didn’t care, but given Asriel’s position that didn’t seem overly likely.

You’d had to stop yourself on numerous occasions from thinking too far into what exactly you were, in relation to monsterkind. You weren’t one, that much was obvious. But you were the lover of monsterkind’s prince, so that had to stand for something. Thankfully, as you had no plans on letting anyone find out yet, it wasn’t much of a concern.

You weren’t quite so excited by the fact that Asriel just brought up that he wanted to change that.

“I just think that someone should know by now. Is that so bad?”

You weren’t sure how to answer. You felt secure with it being a secret, but you knew that couldn’t last forever.

“W-who were you planning on telling exactly?”

“Mom. Since she won’t exactly go around spreading rumors or anything like, y’know, basically anyone else.”

That was the answer you were dreading. The thought of Toriel finding out you were with her son, as of course there’d be no way she’d find out more than that, it was daunting to say the least. Terrifying, if you were more honest with yourself. It must have shown too, as Asriel placed his hand upon your shoulder.

“We don’t have to. That’s why I brought it up now rather than after I did it.”

“It’s not that I don't want to. But you know how intimidated I can get around monsters. Your mom is like...what, third most powerful amongst your entire kind? What if she disapproves?”

“What, you’re worried that she’ll smite you down or something?”

It’s stupid, but almost exactly what you were concerned about. Even though you knew it was about as likely as you getting hit by lightning on the way to telling her, you still couldn’t shake the nerves you always had whenever you were around most monsters.

“I know it’s stupid. But I can’t shake the thought, y’know?”

“Well, you don’t have to worry. Mom’s known for a while now that I’m with someone. I just never told her who it was. So it won’t really be that bad.”

“She already knows you’re...”

“Yeah. Me and Mom talk a lot, so it was bound to come up.”

That only made the niggling stress you were feeling all the worse. Now it was even harder to imagine a situation that she could approve of you. You were human, and of significantly less importance or power than Asriel was. It wasn’t unlikely that she’d see you as having no place beside him.

“Hey, why do you look so worried? I told you we don’t have to tell her if you don't want to.”

Asriel’s grip on your shoulder tightens. You shrug it off, your whole body shaking a little now from your barely-contained panic. It was an inevitability that she’d find out, but you couldn’t bare the thought of it being so soon.

“You won’t be mad at me for asking you to wait?”

“Of course not. You know that I’m willing to take every step whenever you’re ready. I won’t tell anyone without your consent.”

You don’t resist when Asriel pulls him toward you, his arms wrapping around you with his hands clasped behind your back. You were almost entirely convinced at this point that part of the reason he calmed you down so much was some kind of magical intervention but you really couldn’t care less at this point as you lazily drape your arms around him, nuzzling against his chest.

“I’m sorry I take things so slowly. It wouldn’t be like this if I wasn’t so nervous around most monsters.”

“It’s not a problem. Is it the magic thing?”

You nod weakly, turning around in his grip so your back is flush against his stomach. There was always something safe about being held like this, that you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

“Yeah. I always struggled to even understand the basics about monsters, and whenever magic was involved, I completely lost track.”

“I get it. Magic is hard for you guys to understand at the best of times, really. It’s second nature to my people so it’s hard to explain it. Like, I can do this-”

He fills the short pause by taking a hand free of your chest as a small fire flickers above his palm. It’s still very weird to you that any fire could be completely without heat, and you still jump a little every time he shows you magic.

“Just as easily as you breathe in and out. It’s just a part of who I am. Like breathing is to you.”

You’d never really thought of it like that. You knew it was a simple task for monsters to use magic, but for it to be so ingrained into them somehow always seemed too easy of an expectation.

“Could you teach me some stuff about it, then? It’d be a big help for a couple classes.”

“Sure thing. We’ve got a couple hours before our next class, so I’ll do what I can to fill you in.”

\----------------

You end up running late. Of course you do, you couldn’t possibly stop Asriel when he looks so excited. You were too busy staring like a lovestruck idiot as you did what you could to absorb the information he was giving you.

Regardless of that, the pair of you had made it into class about ten minutes later than you should have done. Which really wasn’t all that bad, when you thought about it. At least you looked respectable enough not to be accused of anything untoward.

“Wait, hold up a sec. Ahh, crap. They moved the room again.”

“Again?”

This wasn’t good. The renovations to the west side of Arts meant that classes would be put in different rooms more often than not. It was an absolute nightmare to keep up with your schedule when it changed hourly.

“Yeah. Looks like they moved us to...where’s this one? You ever been to 198?”

“I think that’s a couple rooms down from where Anatole teaches. C’mon, I’ll show you the way.”

You only hoped that you wouldn’t be too much later because of this. Most classes had gotten into the habit of starting a little late so everyone could get there, so maybe you’d be in luck. You also hoped, much more profusely, that you wouldn’t get caught by anyone of any authority on your way there. Such as the very monster you were talking about earlier, for instance.

There was no way whatsoever that it wouldn’t be at least somewhat incriminating, after all. And you had struggled so hard to convince Asriel that waiting to tell anyone would be best, too. All you could do now was hope it would be someone other than Toriel teaching.

You felt glad that, for once, you were actually lucky enough to be correct about who you’d have teach. It was your normal lecturer, and you were far more thankful about that than you likely should be.

As it wasn’t Toriel that you were being taught by, neither you or Asriel were chastised particularly badly, although you would have to be blind to not notice the looks the pair of you got. Perhaps people were catching on more quickly than you first thought.

\-----------

The lecture went by without incident after that. It was slow, and quite difficult to keep up sometimes, as magical studies always were. It wasn’t anything too complex, but anything magical tended to go right over your head. As a non-magical being, it was a hard concept to grasp, even with Asriel trying his hardest to explain it to you earlier on.

But still, you tried your best, and you felt pretty good about how much you managed to understand, and note down. You could always get more help if you needed, either from your lecturer or from Asriel. Maybe in time you’d really start grasping this kind of thing. The thought of such an opportunity was surprisingly exciting.

By the time the lecture was finished, you had just under two full pages of notes, significantly more than you normally managed to make. Perhaps you were starting to move past the issues you always had with this particular subject.

Quickly scanning through everything you’d written down, just to make sure you hadn’t made the frustratingly common mistake of writing down a rather unintelligible mess. Too many times, had you been too focused on getting the notes down that you hadn’t focused on getting any sense in them.

“You look cute when you’re focused.”

You nearly jump out of your skin, he scares you so badly. A large, furred paw rests on your shoulder and you calm just a little, but your heart continues to race, pounding against your chest.

“Don’t do that. I’m trying to make sure my notes make sense.”

He sits beside you, filling his chair far more than you ever filled yours. Satisified enough with your notes, you lean against him. The rest of the class filter out, leaving the two of you alone in the room, as the lunch period started. You had all the time in the world, now, with no more lectures until early evening.

“Let’s see.”

Asriel pulls your notes in front of him, and you silently watch as he looks over your notes. Your handwriting, as always, is a barely-legible mess, and it’s only because Asriel’s handwriting is no better that he’s able to understand a damn thing you’ve written.

“This works. Your notes are a little rough, but I can help you fix this up with plenty of time to spare, the next test on this stuff isn’t for a couple of weeks.”

This feels so...domestic that it’s a little unusual, to say the least. Leaning against him like this, with him helping you fix your notes. You just felt...content. This finally felt as normal as you had always hoped it would. This, you assumed, was what it felt like to be in a committed relationship.

“I’d appreciate that. I guess it helps to have a straight-A student as my boyfriend, huh?”

A small nudge to your shoulder, and a soft laugh, are all the replies you get before Asriel folds your notes, pocketing them and standing. You quickly stood with him, brushing yourself down and looking up at him.

“We heading back to the dorm?”

“If you’d like. We have plenty of time to go elsewhere if you’d like. Another date, or perhaps some...alone time, somewhere secluded?”

You can’t stop the shiver that runs down your spine at that particular proposition. But you also knew you didn’t want to get caught doing such illegal things. Tempting as they were, that was the truth, they were very much illegal.

“Let’s stick to the dorm. For now.”

You’d gotten better at this. At spinning your words so they always promised just enough to keep Asriel on edge. Seeing his reactions, small and hidden to anyone that didn’t know him well, was it’s own kind of thrill. It kept you going.

\--------

You hadn’t realised how desperate you had felt. How much you had missed being impossibly close to him. It had been a single day, and still you felt as hopelessly lustful as you had done yesterday. You hadn’t even made it into your dorm room. He’d slammed you against the door, and you were pinned between him and the harsh barrier of the wood behind you. You thanked, silently, any gods that were listening that nobody seemed to need this corridor right now.

“Gods, you’re s-such a tease, Azzy.”

He smiles against your neck, his breath hot enough that it almost feels like it’s blistering your skin. You whine quietly, apparently having lost all of your willingness to fight against your submissive nature today.

“Teasing, am I? What, would you rather I fucked you right here and now, in plain view? I’d be more than happy to do so.”

Ugh, you hated him sometimes. You hated his stupid, sexy voice and how easily it twisted you into agreeing with what he wanted. Not that you were really against the idea in the first place, which in itself worried you. So much for having any real restraint.

“Just...let’s get inside. Please.”

You can feel him smiling against your neck, one of his hands sliding down your back before darting aside and pushing your door open. You’d have fallen if you weren’t so tightly wrapped around your monstrous lover.

It was a mess of tangled limbs and feverish kisses as you nearly fell into the room, barely able to hold yourself upright. A soft, breathy grunt escapes you as you’re slammed against the door again, Asriel’s paws working feverishly to strip you. You gladly help him, feeling the cloth that imprisoned you quickly falling away, rapdily leaving you in nothing more than your underwear, which in itself was already drenched with your arousal.

“Look at you, so adorably submissive today. So adamant about being in charge yesterday, but now? You’re practically begging for me to fuck you.”

While that was absolutely true, you weren’t sure sleeping with him for the second time in less than a day was a good idea. Well, it was. It absolutely was, but still.

“S-should we...really do this?”

“Hm?”

The way he tilts his head is heart-meltingly adorable, and very nearly enough to distract you.

“You know what I mean. Shouldn’t we leave it some time, at least?”

You don’t want to. Gods know you don’t want to, you want to be ruined by him, fucked so hard that you might not be able to make it to your evening lecture today. But that wouldn’t be sensible, despite what your mind keeps telling you.

“If that’s what you genuinely want. As much as I hate to stop, we’ll stop.”

You nod weakly, your chest heaving as you look up toward Asriel, a delightfully warm smile on his face; and you can’t stop yourself from nuzzling against his hand as he strokes your cheek.

“You know I love you, right, princess?”

“I love you too. More than I ever thought possible.”

You lean forward, practically sinking into him as you hug him tightly, suddenly feeling a little breathless. You’d told him so often that you loved him, but had never truly, genuinely admitted things to him.

“Hey, Azzy?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Don’t do that again. I’m gonna be serious for a bit, so bear with me.”

“Okay?”

You let out a slow, measured breath as you step back, suddenly feeling cripplingly nervous.

“You remember, before, when I said I was still struggling to really accept us? That’s not gonna be a problem anymore, I promise. That stupid hookup I had about being unsure of the whole physical side of our relationship? If you hadn’t guessed yet, I don’t care about that anymore.”

“Yes, that’s very surprising. There’s no way that those thoughts of yours, begging to have me almost tear you in two, could ever have given that away.”

You shrug weakly, smiling nervously as you scratch at the back of your neck, a nervous tic you’d developed at some point without noticing.

“I never said I found it out in an innocent way. But that’s not the point. Aren’t you supposed to say something flattering or complimentary or something at this point?”

This time, Asriel is the one to shrug, his hand trailing up your back and sending shivers through it with every passing moment. Gods, why did he have to do hat? You were trying to be serious and he was just forcing all of those thoughts right back to the forefront of your mind.

“Words aren’t going to prove how proud of you I am.”

“Then what will?”

You speak quietly, knowing the answer before he replies. The way you so quickly became so utterly focused on Asriel, on his body and on being entirely unable to stop yourself from becoming intensely aroused by even the slightest touch, really was starting to worry you.

“Nothing, really. Trust, which isn’t much of a thing to prove. Do we need to talk so much? Shouldn’t we be...y’know, having sex right now?”

“Asriel, please. I’m trying t-”

He cuts you off with a rough kiss, and you can’t help but feel a little concerned. It’s a struggle, but you push the caprine away, your chest heaving from lack of air.

“What the hell was that? We’re supposed to be having a conversation. You can’t...you can’t just do that.”

“Why not? You’re clearly enjoying yourself.”

You suddenly feel very trapped, the wood of the door against your back feeling like an impenetrable barrier. It was more than a little terrifying how predatory Asriel looked right now, so much taller and more imposing than you could ever be.

“That’s not the point. What’s gotten into you?”

“Me? You were the one practically begging me to fuck you into the bed, and now I’m in the wrong for trying to do that?”

“I thought we agreed to stop. Or am I not allowed to say no?”

You had thought this had passed. The anger and possession that you’d seen long ago hadn’t shown itself in so long, you thought it wouldn’t be a problem anymore. You hated being wrong. You hated being scared, after so long.

You can’t even bring yourself to look at him. You’re scared of your own boyfriend, and that only terrifies you further. The one monster you hoped you’d never feel scared of, and you were struggling not to burst into tears just by being near him. God, how you hated feeling weak.

“I thought we got past this, Azzy. What happened?”

“What happened? Nothing. I just...”

You can’t hide the way your whole body relaxes as he steps back. Feeling very exposed in your current unclothed state, you quickly reclothe yourself, before forcing yourself to look at him.

“You just what? I thought we fixed this, Azzy.”

“We can’t fix it!”

You flinch hard at how quickly he raises his voice, already starting to feel tears pricking at your eyes.

“There’s no fixing what’s wrong with me. This...this obsession. I can’t get better. I haven’t yet, and it’s been so long already.”

You’re barely focusing on what he’s saying. An overwhelming panic, begging you to run away, to run as far and as fast as you can; it hits you like a truck. Your chest feels constricted, your muscles weak and barely holding you up. You feel ready to collapse.

“You can’t just...fix nymphomania. I’ve tried, for so many years. Therapy, medication, fucking...fucking everything anyone would give me. I have tried.”

“Nymph...what? You never told me you had...”

This was a condition? You just thought it was some kind of personality issue, or some sort of clash of ideals from his monstrous nature. But this? Nymphomania was something you’d only heard of, the term used rarely and always negatively. You hadn’t considered what it would actually look like. How much it would actually affect someone.

“I didn’t want it to put you off, or scare you away. I didn’t want you think I was some kind of freak, who would only want you because I find you sexually attractive. I’m not...no, I can’t lie. I am obssessed. It’s impossible not to be, this...this condition forces it. These compulsions, these uncontrollable desires...it’s a lot of work to get through each day. But I do.”

You know he had plans to continue, he’d likely end up ranting for twenty minutes more if you didn’t intervene. So that’s what you do. You step up to him, grab his shaking hand, and you squeeze it tight.

“Asriel. I won’t lie to you and say I understand. I’ve barely even heard of your condition before. I don’t know how it will affect us, either. I’m not mad at you or anything, I just...I wish you’d trusted me enough to tell me before. That way, we’d have had more time to figure things out.”

If he had a heart, you expect it would be racing. As it is, he’s shaking like a leaf in high winds, and you reach up, standing on your toes to grab one of his horns, yanking it and him down until he falls to his knees, making him close to your eye level.

“T-that kinda hurt. What’s gotten into you?”

“Me? You’re the one freaking out because you’re expecting me to give up and leave you. Condition or no, I’m not ditching you. It’s going to take a lot more than you not telling me one thing to make me break up with you.”

You let him go, both hand and horn, and he relaxes into a more comfortable looking kneeling position. 

“I love you, you big furry idiot. I’ve never loved anybody this much before. So stop worrying yourself to death, there’s no way in hell I’m losing you this easy.”

“Y-you have no idea, at all, how glad I am to hear that.”

His voice catches, and you notice too late that he’d started crying. You fall to your knees, embracing him as tightly as you could. You weren’t really able to get all the way around him, he was too broad. But you tried, and that stood for something. You were every bit as scared as he looked, knowing full well that if he lost control enough, you’d have absolutely no way of stopping him from...well, you decided not to think too hard down that line of thought, to say the least.

“I’m here to help, okay? I might not do much good, but I’ll do everything I can to help you with this.”

You shock yourself with how level your voice is, sounding so much more confident than you really were. It seems to pay off, too, as you feel Asriel’s shaking slow, your embrace tight until he finally starts seeming like it’s okay to let go. So you do. Slowly, and carefully, you let him go.

This had been a very, very intense few minutes. But you hoped, more than ever had hoped for anything before, that no harm would come to your relationship from what had just happened.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm finally back. I'm very sorry for disappearing on an unannounced hiatus. But I'm now able to write again, and who knows, maybe I'll be able to start updating on a real schedule again. Anyway! I hope you guys enjoy this. And I'd also be curious to know if any of you might know what song the pair are singing in this.

Things were getting better. It was taking time, and things didn’t feel the same as they had before, but there was progress. Asriel had stayed distant, as if scared to even touch you, but you’d made it work. The admission, for there was no other word that really worked for it, felt like it was months ago when it was truly only a week at most. 

“I don’t want to keep waiting to tell people.”

His voice startles you, having broken the comfortable silence you were sharing while relaxing after a long studying session.

“What do you mean? I thought you were okay with keeping it quiet.”

“I was. But it’s just...frustrating. I want to be open about it, to let people know. Some people, obviously. But you get my point.”

You leant into him, having hoped this conversation wouldn’t come up until things felt more comfortable. But you were ready for it, either way. It was an inevitability after all.

“The plan was to start with your mother, right? Telling Toriel was the first step?”

“Yeah. She’s the safest bet, and she deserves to know what we are now. I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to guess and I’m pretty sure everyone in the school knows. But still.”

You nod, knowing full well that neither of you were very subtle when it came to your affection toward each other, even now when you were more distant. The fear you once had about telling Toriel was gone, at least mostly.

“Okay. Sure, I can handle that. Only that, mind you. Don’t go getting too excited if it goes well.”

“When. Not if. Stop being so negative about things, we talked about this.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes. When he wasn’t being so aggressively affectionate, Asriel had a frustrating habit of acting almost motherly. It could even be endearing sometimes.

“Yes, yes, whatever. Let’s get this over with now, shall we? No time like the present, or however that stupid quote goes.”

You stand, stretching and trying to hide the small amount of fear that still lingered. You knew, deep down, you’d be fine. But still, there was part of you that couldn’t shake the fact that you were about to go and tell one of the most powerful beings to ever live...that you were their son’s boyfriend.

It’d go fine. Right?

\-----------

“I see. So this...this is who you meant.”

You were entirely convinced the only thing keeping you from bolting from the room was the fact that Asriel had such a tight grip on your hand. You were completely terrified; Toriel looked significantly more imposing when she wasn’t acting as a teacher, but rather as the mother of your partner.

“Yes, he is. You look awfully surprised, Mom.”

“What can I say, I did not expect it to be a human. Much less your roommate.”

That didn’t sound like approval, which was only adding to your worry. Did she not like you? Was there something about you that made her think you unworthy? You had no idea.

“You do realise that I had you boarded with a human to help them feel comfortable here, yes? Not to date them?”

“Yes, I know. We talked about this before I moved into the dorms. But that doesn’t change what happened.”

It also wasn’t helping that they were both talking as if you weren’t there.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, Toriel, I can...I mean, we could...”

You faltered, the look she sent at you withering your confidence. You were saying what you hoped she wanted to hear, rather than any amount of real honesty. You didn’t want to stop dating him. Asriel gave you the sort of confidence that you’d only dreamt of, and you’d never felt such an intense connection to anyone outside of your own family.

You needed to stand up for yourself. To hell with Toriel’s opinion, or your own safety if this went awry. You couldn’t just keep being negative and refusing to be brave. Asriel was teaching you this.

“I’m sorry if...if you don’t like me, Toriel. Or you don’t want me to date your son, or whatever. But he makes me happy. He’s good to me, despite his flaws. He treats me well, and makes me feel so...so wanted that it’s almost stupid. I...I love him. Dearly.”

You felt like your lungs were going to collapse. That was so incredibly stupid. You just yelled at the queen of all monsterkind. Because you loved her son and she didn’t like it. So you just...yelled. That was a thing you somehow thought would be a good idea.

“Well. You certainly seem rather passionate about this.”

You could only nod, your voice stolen from you by your own idiocy.

“And you, Asriel? Does he make you as happy as he claims you make him?”

“Absolutely. He just...he gets it. He understands me, Mom. He reciprocates everything I’ve ever given him, I feel comfortable around him, we work together wonderfully. I love him a lot, Mom. I mean, you know me. You know I wouldn’t commit if I didn’t mean it.”

You already somewhat knew all of that, but you’d be lying to yourself if you hadn’t felt heartened by his words. Your grip on his hand tightened, and you felt at peace with this. You still felt awful for getting so heated, but now you felt okay. Maybe this wouldn’t end well, but you said your piece and now had to hope.

“Well. While I must admit I am surprised, I can plainly see that you both do seem quite in love. And I’m not the kind of monster to refuse a couple their love.”

You restrained yourself from letting out a sigh of relief.

“However. Above all else, you are still my students. And I will not let you use your relationship as an excuse to fall behind. So, yes, enjoy yourselves to the fullest extent of your new relationship. But please don’t get too carried away.”

“We won’t. Should we go?”

Toriel nodded, getting back to her paperwork as the two of you rather quickly left Toriel’s office. Then, finally, you let yourself panic.

“Holy crap we did it. We did the thing, she knows.”

“Yes, she does. But more importantly than that, I can barely believe you stood up for yourself. Hell, you even took the advantage and made your opinion obvious. I’m so proud of you.”

“Ugh, don’t spoil it by sounding like my mother.”

“No, I mean it. That’s a huge thing, considering your struggles with self-confidence.”

He hugs you tightly, and so suddenly that you’re practically swept off your feet. It’s all you can do to catch yourself by throwing your arms around his shoulders. 

“I am proud. Even if you find it embarrassing for me to say. And hey, we’re still on track for my surprise.”

“Wait, what?”

“Ah ah, no telling. There’s no point in a surprise you know about. Now hurry up, we don’t want to be late.”

Now as confused by this as you were happy from Toriel’s blessing, you followed Asriel closely, your hands still tightly within each others. Although he was only walking quickly, you were struggling to keep up with a decently-paced jog.

“Where are we even going? C-can you tell me that much?”

“Nope. Nothing. No spoilers.”

You groaned, the frustration of a lack of knowledge only worsened by the fact Asriel knew you didn’t like surprises. But you also trusted him enough to know that this wasn’t going to be anything too out of your comfort zone.

\----------

“You’ve got to be kidding. I can’t sing, Asriel.”

His idea of a surprise was that he had written you both up to take part in a karaoke competition. You were already feeling a significant amount less okay with how today was going.

“Yes you can. I’ve heard you, before. You sing in the shower, when you think I’m asleep or have already left for class.”

That only made it worse. You’d tried your hardest to keep that particular hobby of yours unspoken and unseen. Ever since you were a kid, you couldn’t help but sing along to songs that caught you, that made you want to listen to them over and over until you knew the words flawlessly. And now, apparently, Asriel knew this.

“Even...if that was the case, which it isn’t, so what? Can you sing? Would we even know any of th-”

“Yes, I can sing. And yes, I can sing songs that you know. I spent some time learning and practicing that one song you seem to be singing so often recently.”

A song from some time ago. As stupid as it made you feel, it was a song from a video game that you loved when you were younger. But, if that was true, Toriel was only the first person to be finding out about the pair of you today.

“No, no way. I don’t even care if you know that I like to sing. We are not singing that. We can’t tell everyone in the whole damn competition that we’re together.”

“Right. Because nobody has figured it out yet. C’mon, babe, I thought it’d be fun. Can you please humor me?”

He wasn’t exactly wrong. Neither of you were very convincing when you tried to hide your affection for the other. But that wasn’t the point.

“I don’t want to just...out us to everyone. A lot of students here still really don’t like me because I’m human, remember. So telling all of them, or at least whoever is there, that I’m dating you? That sounds like a terrible idea.”

You hated making Asriel sad. Hell, you hated making anyone sad but it hurt a lot more than most when it was him. But you really weren’t sure making it open information that you two were together was a good idea.

“I...I guess. I just wanted to sing with you, I guess. I thought it’d be fun, and we’d get to show off. But you’re right. Maybe this was a dumb idea.”

“No! No it wasn’t dumb. Honestly, as much as I don’t like being found out, it’s super cute that you thought of signing us up for this.”

“So does that mean I win, and we’ll do it?”

You really didn’t want to make him sad, and this would certainly be a good way to distract yourself from what just happened.

“Fine. Fine! But you owe me for letting you get away with this.”

“Trust me, I’ll pay you back in full.”

You barely stifle a groan as he winks and pulls you by your wrist. One of these days, you swore to yourself, you’d get him back for all these stupid innuendos.

\-------

“Ugh, everyone is so good. Is it a monster thing, just being inherently good at singing?”

You felt like you didn’t stand a chance. Every monster you’d heard, either solo or in a duet, had outstanding voices. You’d never considered yourself bad at singing, exactly, but against this sort of competition?

“Eh, maybe? I mean, it’s not like many of us practice it or whatever. Anyway, stop worrying so much. We’re up next.”

“Next?!”

Suddenly all of your worries felt significantly worse. But, if nothing else, they’d be dealt with soon enough.

“Yeah. Let’s get going. Don’t want to keep anyone waiting for us to stand them up with our skill.”

Asriel stands and you quickly follow him, walking up to the place where the next contenders needed to be. Asriel seemed to have forgotten, somehow, that the two of you had never actually sung together. Or practiced this even once.

What could possibly go wrong?

\-----

In the few short moments that were the introduction of the song, you felt an unusual sense of peace. The song was relaxing, if not exactly subtle in telling everyone gathered here about the two of you. 

You had decided, in the brief moments you had before things began, that you would be taking the woman’s role in the song, if only because Asriel’s voice was naturally deeper than yours. Which meant you were the one to kick things off.

_“This is the darkest night. Stars have all faded away; quiet upon this world.”_

As your voice rang clear throughout the room, you noticed a shine to Asriel’s eyes, a fierce glow that would concern you if it didn’t seem so reassuring.

_“Through the clouds, there is a light. We will find our way.”_

A respite, a single breath as Asriel steps up closer to you. In that instant, you understand what that fire in his eyes is. A desire to perform, one you couldn’t control yourself from sharing.

You took his hand, as the two of you fell near-instantly into sync with each other.

_“I would die for you; cross the sky for you! I will send out a light burning for you alone, you’re all I need!”_

He pulls you close, before reaching out and throwing a small streak of flame over the heads of the monsters who you assumed were judging this thing.

_“You set me free, and this fire will guide...you...home.”_

A rush of adrenaline as Asriel steps away, and in the moment you find yourself forgetting that you’re being watched, simply enjoying this for him, for yourself and simply for the joy of singing.

Asriel’s verse is next, so you simply watch him, enraptured by his passion.

_“There is an open door. Somehow it feels so familiar. We have been here before.”_

He focuses on you, ignoring the crowd just as you are. 

_“Through this old, forgotten fight; there must be a way.”_

He steps closer, his lines punctuated by him drawing his SOUL from his chest, offering to you for a brief moment before pushing it back inside of him, as you take his hand tightly again. By now, this feels as easy as breathing, as your voice joins his for another chorus.

You move in sync, an unexpected, inexplicable dance taking you both as the chorus rises, the intensity of the song itself paling compared to your desire to impress Asriel with your voice and your performance.

A backing chorus, suddenly, from within the song itself and you find yourself aware again, stepping away from Asriel and pulling against his chest as you do. By either luck or incredible reflexes, Asriel mirrors the motion. Maybe going this far for the overkill was unncessary, but it felt amazing.

_“This fire will guide you home. Where our hearts are unopened!”_

The movement, timed perfectly with the song and a helpful bit of magic from Asriel, pulls your SOULs free from both of you, hovering between you both in an, admittedly rather excessive feat of just showing off.

_“Where our bond is unbroken!”_

You step closer, sweeping past him as he helps guide both your SOUL and his back into their respective bodies safely. The chorus, again, comes around and you feel yourself moving as if you were an extension of every beat, every word flowing from you as if it was no effort at all.

You only realise how close the song is to ending as your brain kicks in just quickly enough that, as you sing over Asriel’s repetition of the chorus, you’re reminded of what comes next.

The final swell of music rises, and you find yourself staring deep into Asriel’s eyes from across the stage, well aware that he’d most definitely use this to embarrass you in some way later, but entirely uncaring.

_“I would die for you, cross the sky for you. I will wait for you.”_

His voice, feeling as if it was interwoven with your own like fabric, makes your heart melt as the final lines approach.

_“You set me free! Set me free!”_

You step up to him, barely noticing as he ignites a flame in his palm and holds it over his chest, somehow forcing said flame to shape like a heart.

_“And this fire will guide...you...home.”_

You finally let out a breath, your lungs burning as if you’d run for miles. And, much more annoyingly, all of the embarrassment you had expected to feel hit you like a freight train.

You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing quietly as Asriel took your hand and the pair of you stepped down from the stage, letting the next pair step up after you. You’d seen a lot of the duets, and a fair few of the solos, try to show off somewhat, or perform a little, but you couldn’t help but feel like you had made total fools of the both of you.

“That was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this, actually.”

“Oh, really? I’d never have guessed. I felt like you were trying to one up me up there. Not to mention how great your voice sounds when it’s not muffled by walls and showers. Why the hell didn’t you take music as a major, you’d rock it!”

“Ugh, no. I’m not great. But that’s not the point. We must have looked like total idiots, showing off and doing all that stupid shit.”

“Eh, maybe. But you said it yourself, you had fun.”

And you had. You felt like a dumbass for putting so much into, for lack of a better term, performing, for what was literally an in-school karaoke competition. But it was so much fun that you didn’t care.

You found your seats again, glad that nobody seemed to think much of your performance. Sitting beside Asriel, you lean against him gently, your chest still heaving from nerves.

“We’re not gonna win this though, right?”

“Huh? Oh, never. This thing is basically a popularity contest with added singing.”

“Thought so.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, Aithe here. So, from here on I'm going to try and upload twice a week. I don't...really have particular days planned, but that's how often to expect updates. As for the chapter, there's not much to say other than that I hope you enjoy!

“So I have good news and bad news.”

“That’s never a good way to start a conversation.”

Asriel was sat at his desk, trying to kill time until his next class. Thankfully for you, he hadn’t been particularly talkative; which you needed to focus on the coursework you were working on. It was an important part of your writing course, and for the life of you, you couldn’t figure out how to word this particular passage.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

You close your laptop, putting it aside as you look up at him. Your curiosity, as always, was bigger than your common sense. So obviously you answered him.

“The good news, I guess.”

“Alright. So, it turns out a lot of people liked how we performed.”

“That’s it? So, what’s the bad news?”

“I wasn’t kidding when I said a lot of people. Apparently, this video of us got so popular, even some media outlets know about it.”

“Some what now? What do you mean video?”

You get up and off of your bed, walking over to him and looking over your shoulder. Your grip on his chair tightens quickly as you see the page he has open on his laptop.

“Someone filmed us. I didn’t think that was allowed.”

“Oh, it wasn’t. But Mom couldn’t find out who did it, so nobody was caught. Look, there’s thousands of views. We’re super popular.”

“Yeah, cool. Because that’s totally what matters here. C’mon, Az, we just got outed to tens of thousands of people! This is awful!”

You step back, stumbling really, as you walk over to your bed and sit heavily onto it. You should’ve just tried harder to refuse him, to not do the clearly very stupid thing that you’ve now gotten heavily punished for.

“Is it really that bad?”

“Yes! Yes, absolutely. We were supposed to be keepng quiet about this, and now everyone knows about it. It was bad enough that people in school knew about us, but now thousands of people that we’ve never met, but absolutely know who you are, know about us. About me.”

You barely notice that Asriel sits beside you. The weight of his arm around you is the first moment of awareness you have that he’s even near you.

“It’ll be fine. Sure, people know about us now. And I know that this wasn’t exactly how you planned on people finding out. But it’s done now. We can’t undo it, no matter how much that would be nice.” 

“If you’re trying to make me feel better, you’re awful at it.”

“You need honesty, not pandering. I don’t want you to be upset, and just because I’m not as bothered by this as you doesn’t mean it isn’t awful for you to be outed like this.”

His grip around you is tight, and his warmth is like an anchor for your thoughts, swimming in fear as they are. You lean into him, nervous and afraid.

“We’ll get through this. No joking, or screwing around, or anything. I’m completely serious right now. I’m going to be here for you, if this gets hard. Hell, even if it doesn’t. I don’t want you to feel lke you’re alone, okay?”

It’s kind of cute when he tries so hard to be serious. His gaze always gets a little more intense, and you swear you can see flickers of flame in his mouth with every word he speaks. And that just gives you something else you definitely don’t need to focus on.

“Alright, alright. I get it, you’re trying really hard to make me understand something that was already stupidly obvious.”

“You don’t really have to put it like that, but sure, I guess. I’m just trying to put it into words, y’know? Like, I’m fine with this personally. But that’s me. I’m not like you, my situation isn’t the same. And I’m very clearly not in your head, so I’d be lying to you if I said I understood how this makes you feel. But I can see that’s it hard for you. So I want to help, however I can.”

You twist in his grip, climbing up onto his lap so that you can hug him tightly, simply relishing the contact, and how helpful it felt to simply have him in your arms.

“Thank you. Really, I mean it. Jeez, what the hell did I do to deserve somebody like you, Asriel? Someone so...kind, so willing to be open about things. God, I feel so damned lucky. Almost too lucky.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know. It just feels like...sometimes it feels like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the time when all this falls apart, and I feel like an idiot for believing it.”

His grip on you loosens, just briefly, but enough to notice it.

“You know that isn’t true, right? I...I didn’t know you stil struggled with those thoughts, but still. I love you, princess. Sure, we haven’t been together all that long. Maybe for you humans it’d be stupid to feel so committed so quick. I just...I genuinely do love you. And I will for who knows how long.”

You rest your forehead against his chest, sighing heavily as your arms drop slightly, feeling heavier than before.

“Asriel, it’s barely been six weeks. We aren’t serious, not even close. Like...don’t try and make this more than it is right now.”

This is what you were hoping wouldn’t happen. You unwound your arms from him, before standing and walking a few steps away, feeling incomprehensibly awkward.

“This is still new, Asriel. Every step of this is something I’ve never experienced, and a lot of it is new to you too, right? Just...please don’t try to make it sound like we’re permanent or anything. Or that we’re even that committed.”

“Are we not?”

You look over to him. He’s stood from your bed, a few steps closer now and you hate that you can see the fear in his eyes. As if it could never have occured to him that it was even possible for this to be an impermanent thing.

“No. God no. Sure, I’m comfortable with you now. Which is great, don’t get me wrong. But it doesn’t mean that this is forever. Something might happen to me, or to you, that means we can’t be together. Or it might just be so simple as it...not working out. There might be a fight, weeks or months from now, that means we break up.”

You weren’t sure what the expression that Asriel held was. Fear, perhaps, or some sort of confusion. Whatever it was, you yourself suddenly felt an overwhelming rush of guilt; just as you always did when you cast any sort of shadow over the relationship that the two of you had.

“I don’t want to sound negative, Asriel. But I-”

He interrupts you, his voice forcing yours back into your throat. You suddenly realise that you misunderstood fear for anger.

“You what? What excuse could you possibly have for it this time?”

You can’t even step back before he’s upon you, towering over you with a vicious fury in your eyes that ruins your resolve. 

“Why the hell do you think it’s okay to keep doing this? To keep pushing and pushing, refusing to admit the truth!”

Your heart pounds in your chest, and you find yourself expecting him to hit you, or something similar. You fear for the possiblity of that being the case.

“I am tired of hearing you repeat this. Do you actually want to do this, or are you bored of me? Bored of this? Is that what this is? You keep doubting just to push me away? Do you even actually love me?”

His voice raises, louder and louder to the point where it’s impossible that he isn’t being overheard. Your back, suddenly, is against the wall and it’s taking all you have to try and resist running away. Running away from him, of all people.

“Answer me, damn you!”

“I don’t know!”

You push him back, with every ounce of strength that you have. Hard enough, somehow, to unbalance him and make him fall to a seated position.

“I don’t know, Asriel! I want to love you, but how the hell am I meant to if things like this keep happening? I’m allowed to be scared. I’m allowed to be nervous. I don’t know how to deal with any of this! I’ve never been in love with a monster before, and I sure as hell have never been in love with a guy before either. You’re both of those, and one of the most important monsters to boot! And I’m just meant to...to fucking accept that, and lie to your damned face that I’m not goddamned terrified?!”

Your breath comes in ragged, desperate pants, your own fear filling you with resolve that you weren’t expecting to have.

“I’m scared, alright? That’s all this is, in the end. Fear. Fear of the unknown, of screwing this up and making things like this happen. This is exactly what I was scared of, Asriel. Of making things fall apart. Of upsetting you, and causing rifts, causing arguments.”

He stands, as you help him. A hand given, and then taken tightly as you pull him up to his feet again. You don’t feel good, or comfortable, or anything of the sort. But you feel better. To be able to let out your fear, to throw it into his face and tell him what you were scared of, it gave you a weird sense of satisfaction. You only hoped it was for the best.

“I just want to be happy. With you, yes, but in my own head too. I’m very, very scared of our relationship, Asriel. For all the wonderful things that happen, I’m still fighting to believe that it will stay this way.”

He pulls you into a hug, vice-like but not uncomfortable. It felt loving, more than restricting. Maybe this was a step forward. Now if only you could get these kind of things to happen in nicer situations.

“It will. I’m going to say this until I lose my voice, but I’m here for you. I love you. No matter how unsure you are, or how scared you feel...I’m here. And I am so, so sorry for getting angry at you. It was cruel, to just assume I knew better than you did. It’s your emotions that are the concern here, and I just...thought I understood them more than you. Which was stupid.”

You tighten your grip around him, lacing your fingers behind his back.

“I’m not going to say it’s okay, Az. Because it’s not. You scared the shit out of me, really. But it’s good that you get it. But for the love of all that’s holy, we have got to learn to communicate better. Shit like this can’t keep happening.”

“No kidding.”

You let go, stepping away from him and finding yourself exhausted from yelling so loudly. You hadn’t wanted this, but it felt necessary. You felt like you’d made some kind of progress, but you were so tired of having it happen like this.

“But, even with all of this, it doesn’t change the original problem. Now there are countless people, human and monster alike, who know about us.”

“Yeah. And there’s nothing we can do about it now.”

“I think...I think the reason it scares me that people know is because so many people are going to hate us for it.”

“You think so? I mean, I know that interspecies relationships are still a political problem. But do you really think it’s going to be that big a deal?”

“Yeah. Do...do you like, constantly forget that you’re prince of all monsterkind or something? Is that even possible?”

“Of course I don’t forget. I do, however, forget what that means from a societal standpoint. It is kind of a big deal what we’re a thing, huh. I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“Oh, really? I would never have guessed that you, of all people, would deign not to pay attention to something.”

He punches you in the shoulder, gently but still hard enough to sting a little. This was what you were comfortable with. Not being punched, obviously. But just talking, discussing things rather than fighting.

“Let me stupid in peace, alright?”

“Never. Asking me not to tease you is like asking the world to stop turning. It could happen, but the chaos that would ensue would be catastrophic.”

“Huh. Best not keep asking then, huh. Let’s just hope it doesn’t become too much of a problem, shall we?”

“I guess that’s all we can do. I should...try and get back to work. Maybe it’ll help calm me down a little. Well, no, it won’t. But I really can’t afford to get sloppy.”

You get back onto your bed, pulling your laptop onto your lap and opening it back up to the document that you’ve been working on. You really weren’t up for working right now. But you couldn’t keep making excuses, especially now that you had to impress Toriel to try and prove that you were worthy of her son. Because that totally wasn’t a toxic thought pattern. Not at all.

\---------------------

“So I have good news and bad news.”

“You’re saying that a lot recently.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. This is about the obvious thing.”

“Ughhh, fine. Fine, what is it?”

You were really, really getting sick of this stupid video being brought up. Basically everyone in school knew about it, and whenever the two of you were out in town, you just knew that so many of the stares were because of it.

“Good news first, then. The news got to a family friend of mine.”

“That’s the good news?”

“The bad news is he wants to recruit us.”

“Recruit? What, is he some kind of media guy?”

“You...could say that. I’m guessing you’ve heard of Mettaton?”

“Wait, the needlessly sexy idol robot? You know him?”

“Never took you to be into that kind of thing. Good to know. But yes, him.”

Now you were most certainly sure this was the bad news. Sure, you weren’t particularly sure of where your life would go after college. But you had expected university, not dropping out for a job. Even if it was, apparently, quite the job indeed.

“Don’t judge. If I can be into you, I can be into anything.”

“Ouch. Well, heartless insults aside, apparently he’s trying to get us involved in his tours and stuff. Whether he’s serious or not, I have no idea.”

“Not like it matters either way. There’s no way in hell I’m dropping out of college. It took too much money to get me here.”

“Oh. So, just a hard no?”

“It took a lot of saving for Mom and Dad to get me here. We’ve never been that well off, so I can’t just waste all their efforts. Especially not for a job that I don’t really want. I want to be an author, not a musician. Singer. Whatever.”

“I guess that makes sense. Which means I’m staying too. To be honest, I can’t imagine liking doing all that travelling for tours and stuff. Not to mention the hours, and the constant practices and...ugh, I feel tired even thinking about it.”

“It fascinates me how someone with a figure like yours can be so impossibly lazy. You are far too thin for someone with your lifestyle.”

“Of course I’m thin. Monster food doesn’t make us gain weight. We get to choose how big we are.”

“You get to do what now?”

“Yeah. It’s like, one of the only universal magicks amongst all monsters. I prefer being thin. Well, kind of thin.”

“That’s so unfair.”

“Eh, I guess. Do you want me to be larger, or something? I can be. I don’t mind.”

“What? No. Just do what you want. I’m not the boss of you. But, if...you wanted to be, go ahead. I won’t exactly stop you.”

It wasn’t that you wanted him to be overweight or anything. There was no weird motive, you just felt that it wasn’t fair that he got to be so thin when he put away at least twice as much food as you. That was all. No more reason than that. It wasn’t at all because you thought he’d look cute if he was a little chubbier.

“O...kay. Well, moving on from that very weird subject. I guess I’ll let him know that we aren’t going to work with him. We should at least meet with him though, if only so he can meet you. I want everyone to meet you, after all.”

“Yeah, that...that sounds exciting. Shouldn’t you meet my parents at some point though? I mean, obviously it’s weird with Toriel because she teaches us. But you haven’t met my family yet.”

“That’s a good point. We’re on break soon, though, right? That would be as good a time as any, since you said you’d be heading back to see them.”

That did make sense. You were goddamned terrified of the thought of turning up at home with Asriel, though. It had been weird enough with your previous partners, but Asriel was...rather different from them.

“Yeah. That’s...next month I think. It’s around our three month anniversary.”

“Awww, you’ve been counting the months?”

“What? No. I just pay attention to the calendar, idiot. Stop making me sound more romantic than I will ever be.”

“Your words are so harsh today. If only I believed there was any malice behind them at all.”

Asriel kisses your forehead, before stepping past you and walking over to the calendar you had just mentioned, flicking over to next month’s page and then scrawling something on it that you can’t see.

“Alright then. In...twenty-six days, I’ll be meeting your parents. How exciting.”

“Try terrifying.”

“We’ll be fine.”


	20. Meeting the Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Aithe here. I know this one is a little slow to get out, but I really wanted to try and get this one to be good, and it was a huge challenge to try and write in a way that didn't feel out of place, or poorly written. I hope it's good enough for everyone, and I hope you enjoy.

“No. Don’t you dare, this is n-not the time!”

Your back scratches against the bark of the tree that Asriel had slammed you against, hard enough that the word was spinning as you felt his mouth at your neck, his burning breath blisteringly hot against you.

“Az, I swear. We’re m-meant to meet my parents today!”

“Exactly. This is for proof. They can’t refuse the fact that I’m your boyfriend if your neck is a mess of purples and reds.”

As if to prove his point, Asriel nips at your neck, causing your breath to hitch and the same damned thought pattern to burn into you, begging for more; when this was absolutely not the time to be doing this.

“Behave. I’m scared enough, okay?”

“Fine. Fine.”

You relax, a little too soon as he darts forward and kisses your neck. You tense up on instinct, but it’s entirely chaste and you hate that you fell for such a stupid trap. The laughter that burns against your mouth is almost humiliating, and you push him away weakly. 

“You’re such a dick.”

“You love me for it.”

You pull him by his wrist, desperate to change the subject and try to get back on track so that you aren’t late. He’d already kept you too distracted erlier today, so you were struggling for time as it was.

“So, what are they like? Your parents, I mean.”

“They’re...fine, I guess. We’re not exciting like your family. Mom’s been stuck at home because of the baby. Dad works. Politics, which means no matter how much I love him, I could not ever bring myself to have any of the interest I fake when he talks about it.”

“Oh, you’re going to be a brother, huh?”

“Yeah. I’m not as excited as I probably should be. I mean, I love my family. I do, a lot. But I’m kind of wrapped up in college and stuff. Like, it’s...it’s weird to explain. But yeah, I’m going to be an older brother. Then there’ll be four of us.”

“That’s still exciting though. So, she’ll be my sister-in-law eventually, I guess.”

“She will?”

You slow slightly, more than a little taken aback by the implications of such an easily-given sentence.

“That’s the word, right? I was never great at remembering stuff like that. That’s the sister of your husband, right?”

“Whoa, wait. You...want to get married?”

“Of course. Not...not, like, now or anything, don’t worry. I’m not going to disappear and then turn up again in a suit or anything. But yeah, someday. I mean, I’m going to be King eventually. And every King needs their partner.”

That makes you stop completely, and you feel a violent rush of heat beneath your skin. You can feel how hot your blush is, and you hate it.

“Hold on. Hold the fuck up for a second. Are you...legitimately saying that you want me to be your husband, at some point in the future. Like, royalty. Actual royalty. Monster royalty at that. I’m not even one of you guys.”

“Yes, I do want you to be my husband. Yes, that does mean you’re going to be actual, monster royalty. I don’t know how people with deal with you being human. I also don’t care. I love you, don’t ever forget that. I also don’t plan on giving you up any time soon. Hopefully never, really.”

“I...have no idea what I’m really meant to say to that. That’s a hell of a piece of info to take in. I mean, obviously I’m flattered. How could I not be, really. It’s just...”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for springing it on you, especially now of all times. You’re stressed enough, and I probably shouldn’t have added onto that by saying what I did.”

“Yeah, probably not. But you’re awful with words outside of the bedroom, so it’s whatever. Let’s just...let’s just get going, shall we? I’m pretty sure we’re late by now.”

\------

Your hand hovered, shaking, mere inches away from the wood. You felt frozen, the impact of what would be happening if you touched that door suddenly hitting you like a freight train and locking you in place.

“I...I don’t think I can do it.”

“Why not? What’s wrong?”

“I’m...I guess I’m just scared. I hadn’t realised what a big deal this was until right now.”

“Well, it’s also too late to back down. So here, let me do it.”

Before you have a chance to ask, plead, beg, or whatever you would have done to get him to stop; you see him reach over you and knock on the door. Hard, and three times. Just like at home. The dorm, not home. This was home. Maybe they were-

Your thoughts, worthless and cyclical as they were, were quickly broken by the sound of the front door unlocking. You were suddenly insanely grateful that Asriel had let you convince him into wearing a too-large hoodie. It made it hard for anyone to really notice who he was, thanks to the hood covering his horns and hanging a little low beyond that.

“Ah, there you are. And this must be your mysterious partner. Taller than I expected.” 

Your mother’s voice, as she opens the door. She glances between you and Asriel, and you can’t help but shrink a little at the knowing smile she has. You had never been particularly open with your parents about your sexuality; mostly because you weren’t even that sure what it was until Asriel happened. But...that meant that you hadn’t come out yet. So that was going to be fun to do.

The door opens a little more, and you lead Asriel in, noting that he has to duck under the doorframe to get inside. Turns out being nearly eight foot tall makes it pretty hard for him to fit in human doors.

“Please, come on through. I’ll get your father.”

“Uh, sure. Thanks, Mom.”

You felt like such an idiot, just turning up here without adequately warning either of your parents about things. Without telling Asriel that you weren’t out. You’d made a whole host of awful mistakes, which seemed to be happening a lot recently. Hopefully you’d be able to get through this easily enough.

“I see where you get your looks from. You look a lot like her.”

“Ugh, don’t tell her that. She already fusses over my looks too much.”

“As she should. Maintaining beauty like yours must be difficult.”

You glower at Asriel, knowing full well that he knew you never had, and never would, care all that much about your appearance. As if to further show him your annoyance, you grab his wrist and drag him through to the living room, barely hiding a smile as you hear him curse under his breath, most likely as he barely misses the top of the doorway.

It’s only seconds before your parents come through. Your mother sits first, looking as tired as you would expect from a woman seven months pregnant. No doubt she’s been trying too hard to do everything, all the time. You always found yourself a little intimidated by your mother’s enthusiasm, honestly.

“I...hadn’t expected him to be so tall.”

You flinch at the word him. You sure as hell hadn’t gotten any taller, so that must have meant that you were already figured out. But how the hell could that happen? You’d always been so careful hiding Asriel’s gender.

“No reason to hide yourself any more, son. Why not take that hood down?”

Your father walks and sits beside your mother, and you quickly sit with Asriel on the other couch, entirely unable to stop yourself from slipping when Asriel’s weight slopes the couch, making you fall against him a little. You hold your breath as Asriel pulls his hood free, the fabric slipping past his horns and then falling around his shoulders.

You shouldn’t laugh when you see your parent’s reactions. You really shouldn’t, and you barely, somehow, manage not to. But you can’t hide the joy you do feel in their shock. Your father practically recoils, and even your mother looks more than a little surprised. To his credit, Asriel does look more than a little embarrassed by what happened too. Which is adorable.

“Prince Asriel?”

“You’re dating the Prince?!”

Two questions, simultaneous and directed at you. Unable to form much of a response that would sound even remotely believable, you simply offer a weak shrug and nod. What could you really say that wouldn’t sound like nonsense?

“I’m so sorry for the disrespect, Your Majesty. Had I known-”

“It’s fine. I’m not here as royalty.”

You noticed that your father, for your mother could not, had sat up much straighter, and you could practically feel the nervousness coming off of both of them in waves.

“I’m here, simply as your son’s boyfriend. That’s all.”

“His boyfriend. You’re...dating our son.”

“Yes. We’ve been dating nearly three months now.”

You hadn’t felt this awkward in longer than you cared to remember. Not that you had expected much else, but still, it was almost exhausting how bad this felt. To try and help things move on, at least a little, you take Asriel’s hand.

“I know you weren’t expecting me to bring Asriel, of all people. But, I promise this isn’t a joke. I was assigned to the same dorm room as him. We share a handful of classes, too. You knew he would be at the school, remember? Everyone knew.”

“Well, yes, it was on the news. But that doesn’t mean we expected you to fall in love with him.”

“Dear, I don’t think anyone thought this would happen.”

Asriel held your hand tightly, and you felt like you were the least nervous person here. You had expected your parents to be weirded out by this. You’d literally brought a member of the monster royal family, into your house. But you’d thought Asriel would have been braver.

“And you say this has been going on for three months?”

“Yes. Three months on Thursday.”

“And here was me thinking you’d never commit to someone so quickly.”

“Mom!”

You blush furiously, your mother laughing quietly at your embarrassment. It wasn’t...always your fault that you had trouble forming relationships before.

“I’m more surprised that you brought home another man. I suppose I simply assumed that you preferred women.”

“It doesn’t bother you that I’m bi?”

“What? No. Why would we be?”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. That was one major hurdle overcome with almost contrived ease. Now you just had to deal with...everything else.

“Honey, trust me. Your father and I have no problem with who you prefer. Although forgive us for not expecting it to be a monster of such import. The monster part was obvious, considering where we sent you. But...this is a shock.”

“If...I may. I’m really not that special. The whole ‘Prince’ thing is really just a title. I’m just like anyone else.”

“It’s true. It was weird at first, but Asriel really isn’t what you’d expect royalty to act like. Honestly, I’ve had weirder friends than him.”

“I’m...not sure that helps. But I appreciate the support anyway?”

You smile a little, as Asriel’s hand slides from yours. He leans forward slightly, and you can’t help but wonder what he was thinking. He was a lot harder to read than your parents.

“I understand that this must be...hard, for you both to accept. Neither of us were expecting this to be easy. But everything that we’ve said is complretly truthful. We’re...still kinda new to this. Like we said, it’s only been three months by now. But I’m. Uh, we’re...pretty committed.”

You shuffle forward, leaning against Asriel a little as you speak to back him up, while silently reminding yourself to apologise and try to repay your parents for freaking them out this much.

“It’s still early days yet. But, well, I really hope that you guys both approve.”

“You say that as if we would ever disapprove of someone you brought home. We’ve told you, time and time again. As long as they make you happy, and they aren’t involved in anything shady, we’ll be okay with them.”

“As your father said. But, please, don’t ever surprise us so badly as this again. I’m with child, you can’t just spring a literal prince on us like this.”

You blush slightly, the heat on your skin a mark of your shame.

“I know. But I couldn’t tell you. Would you really have believed me if I had told you who I was dating?”

“That...may be a fair point.”

\-------

The evening had gone well. The awkwardness that overtook the air early on had disappeared not too long after you had explained the situation, and your parents seemed genuinely happy for you, even if they still looked rather intimidated by Asriel.

“I must assume you’re staying the night. The commute back to the college this late at night would be irresponsible.”

“I mean...sure?”

You hadn’t planned on staying this long, but things had gotten a little out of your control. This was just supposed to be a short visit, you’d agreed on that much so you could work on studying. The longer breaks would be when you were here longer.

“I trust that you two can behave yourselves for one night? Or at least be quiet about it.”

“Mom, oh my god. That is...not a conversation we’re having. Especially not right now.”

You hate how you can hear Asriel trying to stifle a laugh. He had found far, far too much joy in your parents embarrassing you as constantly as they had been for the past few hours.

“Fine, fine. But just in case, I spent the time to put some-”

“Nope. I’m out! No more listening to this!”

It’s childish, and you know it. But you really don’t care as you walk away, your heart pounding against your chest out of embarrassment. Every since you were young, your mother had taken great joy in being a constant source of teasing and embarrassment. Maybe you had been hoping for too much that she might behave for today.

You go upstairs to your room, sitting heavily upon the bed and letting yourself breathe, using the brief respite to try and relax just a little. Things had been so busy with Asriel in the house, and the constant conversations about your relationship, your history at home and how things were at college.

The silence is all too brief, but it’s broken by Asriel, which is all that you could hope for at this point. The weight of him sinking onto your mattress is welcome, and you lean against him, before trying to hide a yawn.

“I’m so fucking tired. Turns out it’s exhausting doing all this stuff.”

“True. But you did great. Your Mom and Dad really seem to like me, and they seem super supportive.”

“Yeah. I really don’t know why I worried so much. They’ve always been awesome, and accepting of all the weird shit that life throws at them, or me. I’m so glad it’s over though. They know now, and you’ve met them, and you’ve finally had proof of how awesome my dad’s cooking is.”

“For sure. I thought you were hyping it up too much, but he’s so good! I mean, it’s nothing compared to my Mom’s butterscotch pie, but...”

“Wow, really? Just, just gonna try and one up me like that? You’re such an ass sometimes.”

He nudges your shoulder, and you wrap your arm around him to just hold him close. You felt genuinely, almost overwhelmingly happy that everything had gone smoothly, even if the start had felt rather rough.

“Sorry, sorry. But trust me, you’ll love it. It’s even better when she mixes it with cinnamon.”

“Ugh, don’t make me feel hungry again. We just ate a huge meal like, half an hour ago. I just want to rest, and probably get some sleep.”

“Me too. Oh, but...wait, do you know what I’ve just realised?”

You tilt your head a little in confusion, too fuzzy-headed from emotion to really understand where he’s going with this.

“We never got around to pushing our beds together back at home. This will be our first night sharing a properly sized bed.”

“Huh. Wow, we are super disorganized, and should totally do that. For completely innocent reasons, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

You stand, offering a hand to Asriel to help him up as well.

“For now though, we should get more comfortable and try to sleep. It’s been a long, long day.”


End file.
